The 10th China Acrobatics Golden Chrysanthemum Awards opened in grand style at the Sanxian Mountain ("Three Fairies Mountain") Theatre in Penglai, East China's Shandong province on Sept 16.

The high-profile opening ceremony, hosted by famous Chinese TV stars Yang Liu and Liu Fangfei, thrilled the audience with a cultural extravaganza featuring singing performances, skits, magic shows and acrobatic performances.

From Sept 17 to 18, more than 500 contestants from the nation's best acrobatics troupes will stage 30 amazing performances in a bid to win the prestigious competition, which is widely acknowledged as the highest honor in Chinese acrobatics.

The event is held every three years and is hosted by the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles and China Acrobats Association.

The judges will vote for the 10 best performances, which will then be staged at the final awards ceremony on Sept 20.

The event will also feature a national seminar on the creation of acrobatic performances on Sept 19, which will gather famous acrobats and experts to discuss new trends and the development of acrobatics in China.

The competition also plans to get the public involved by staging fabulous performances on the streets around Penglai. Primary and secondary school students will be able to take a close look at magic shows in class and learn simple magic tricks from famous magicians.

This is the first time that a county-level city has hosted the Golden Chrysanthemums. Bian Faji, president of the China Acrobats Association and vice president of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles, cited the city's beautiful scenery, agreeable climate, rich historical and cultural heritage and extensive experience in hosting large events as the reasons for choosing Penglai as the venue for the contest.

In recent years, Yantai has hosted more than 80 high-level forums and competitions, each of which was attended by more than 1,000 people.