An artistic performance featuring Korean music and dancing is staged during the event on June 12. Shimen is a town inhabited by people of the Korean ethnic group. The town boasts beautiful natural scenery as well as a rich and unique folk culture, and has been selected as a research base for Korean villages. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Among the traditional customs of the Korean ethnic group, the major ones that continue to this day are the spring outing on March 3 and the climbing activity on Sept 9.

On these two days, people of Korean descent bring large amounts of food to mountains, parks or scenic areas, where they hold picnics and carry out various cultural, sports and entertainment activities.

Korean traditional festivals mainly include Spring Festival, the 15th day of the first lunar month, Qingming Festival, Dragon Boat Festival, and New Year's Eve.

On the first day of the first lunar month, after dawn, people first offer sacrifices to their ancestors. Then the children, dressed in lavish clothes, bow their heads to the elderly, wishing them health and longevity.

The Yanbian Korean autonomous prefecture was established on Sept 3, 1952. Every year on this day, people of all ethnic groups in Yanbian hold celebrations, which led to the creation of a local festival over time.

It is now a comprehensive folk festival integrating celebrations, cultural and sports activities, ethnic custom exhibitions, and economic and trade fairs.

Aug 15 marks the Elderly Festival. Festival activities generally include commending exemplary figures who respect the old and love the young, celebrating birthdays of the elderly, and organizing cultural and sports activities suitable for the elderly.