The fifth Greater Bay Area Arts Festival will be held from Sept 16 to Oct 16 across 11 cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

The festival will feature five main sections: performing arts, art lectures, exhibitions, public cultural events, and performing arts trade.

During the event, over 35 selected performances will be staged, along with more than 100 shows, 18 art exhibitions, nearly 150 public welfare performances, and a series of art lectures.

As part of the festival, the dance drama Confucius was performed in Guangzhou on Sept 8-9. Produced by the China National Opera and Dance Drama Theater, the work presents Confucius's life and philosophical ideas through classical Chinese dance.

A scene from the Chinese dance drama Confucius. [Photo/Guangzhou Daily]

The original Cantonese opera The Fragrance of Agarwood was staged on Sept 5-6. Centered around Dongguan's agarwood culture, the performance blends traditional Cantonese Opera with contemporary storytelling.

The Cantonese version of the musical Novel premiered in Guangzhou on Sept 5. Adapted from the original Chinese production, the localized version incorporates Cantonese lyrical and linguistic elements, offering a fresh interpretation of the suspenseful storyline.

A scene from the Cantonese version of the musical Novel. [Photo/Guangzhou Daily]

These productions showcase the festival's diverse programming, providing audiences with a range of artistic perspectives.