About 1,000 artists and overseas Chinese from more than 30 countries and regions gathered in Guangzhou Dec 3 to celebrate the eighth World Ethnic Chinese Culture and Art Festival.

The festival, co-organized by the Guangdong Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese and Guangzhou Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese, will last for four days.

Apart from traditional activities such as folk music, new activities including matchmaking fairs are also held to lure investments from overseas Chinese.

Li Jing, chairman of the Guangdong Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese and director of the organizing committee of this year's festival, said that increasing the influence of Chinese culture is not only the wish of all Chinese around the world but also an important responsibility for the federation.

Li noted that the festival is expected to become a platform for cultural communication and cooperation among returned overseas Chinese and to further promote traditional Chinese culture.

The festival, first held in 2005, has attracted more than 10,000 overseas Chinese to participate in the event, becoming a cultural feast among overseas Chinese.