Approved by the State Council of the People's Republic of China, the China Shanghai International Arts Festival, the only national-level international arts festival in the country, is sponsored by the Ministry of Culture and organized by Shanghai Municipal Government.

The China Shanghai International Arts Festival aims to absorb the best cultures around the world, to promote Chinese traditional arts, and to enhance cultural exchanges between China and the rest of the world. The festival activities include art program shows, art exhibitions, the mass cultural activities and trade fair of programs, arts and crafts.

Since 1999, the China Shanghai International Arts Festival has been held in Shanghai annually, generally in November.

(Official website: http://www.artsbird.com/ )

(Previous festivals: http://english.cri.cn/culture/events/arts-festival/index.htm)