Excited children in bright Korean costumes give a rousing performance at a ceremony to celebrate Yanbian's 70th anniversary. [Photo/WeChat account of Yanbian Wenlyu]

The Yanbian Korean autonomous prefecture – located in Northeast China's Jilin province – celebrated its 70th anniversary with excitement and style at a rousing ceremony held on Sept 3, according to local media reports.

Yanbian, the only autonomous prefecture for China's Korean ethnic group in the country, is close to Russia and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea or DPRK, making it important for foreign trade.

Swirls of vivid and exciting color figure in this performance given by folks from the Korean ethnic group in Yanbian, at the ceremony on Sept 3. [Photo/WeChat account of Yanbian Wenlyu]

Yanbian covers 42,000 square kilometers and has a population of 2.03 million, with 722,435 people from the Korean ethnic group, or 35.6 percent of the population. They are widely said to have a higher level of education than many other Chinese ethnic groups.

The autonomous prefecture is in the Changbai Mountains area and boasts big supplies of lumber, as well as bountiful water and minerals resources. It has a rich cultural heritage and burgeoning tourism that takes advantage of its folk activities centered on Korean history and culture.

A spectacular fireworks show takes place over Yanji city, in the Yanbian Korean autonomous prefecture, on Sept 3. [Photo/WeChat account of Yanbian Wenlyu]

The prefecture has witnessed rapid development over the past 70 years, with its annual GDP hitting 80.12 billion yuan ($11.67 billion) in 2021, an increase of 6.8 percent over the previous year.

So far, Yanbian has developed many special industries that take advantage of its local conditions. Locals plant high-quality rice and help develop and work in tourism to increase their incomes. In addition, new industries – such as new energy vehicle manufacturing and pharmaceuticals – are adding to the momentum for the prefecture's development.

Spellbinding fireworks light up the night sky in Yanji city, on Sept 3. [Photo/WeChat account of Yanbian Wenlyu]