Folk artists perform Gaotai Dixi opera in Anshun, Guizhou province, Feb 29, 2016. [Photo by Qiao Qiming/Asianewsphoto]

The 2016 "Beautiful Tunpu" photography, micro film and painting contest kicked off in Anshun city, Guizhou province, on Monday. Folk artists performed the ancient and passion-filled Gaotai Dixi opera during the opening ceremony, which amazed photographers and contest participants.

Gaotai Dixi opera, which was among the first batch to be listed as a national intangible cultural heritage, is honored as "a living fossil of opera". It is a unique folk opera form popular in Tunpu of Anhui. The Gaotai Dixi opera mainly tells wartime stories of ancient times.