On Thursday evening, an international lantern festival and cultural carnival began in Xiaogongyuan, an area with typical arcade-style building streets in Shantou, Guangdong province, showcasing a dazzling display of lanterns and unique local style performances.

The event vividly presented the local cultural and art charm, social and economic developmental progress and deep-rooted ties between overseas Chinese and Shantou, which has been known as the hometown of overseas Chinese for a century.

A series of lantern exhibitions also featured the culture of countries and regions such as Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Cambodia, Laos, Hong Kong and Macao.

The festival and carnival will run until March 9.