Locals stage a performance at the opening ceremony of the 9th Pufferfish Festival held in Hai'an, Nantong, a city in East China's Jiangsu province, on May 11. [Photo/IC]

The opening ceremony for the 9th Pufferfish Festival was held in Hai'an, Nantong, a city in East China's Jiangsu province, on May 11.

During the opening ceremony, locals staged unique cultural performances and special agricultural and other products from local towns and villages were exhibited, attracting thousands of tourists.

According to local media reports, the festival will run for 28 days. The China Fisheries Association's pufferfish food culture committee, pufferfish cooking competition, Hai'an culture and tourism development conference, and Hai'an rural calligraphy and painting exhibition will be established during the festival.

In recent years, the city has made full use of local tourist attractions, promoted the deep integration of tourism, agriculture, culture, and health, and held a variety of tourism festivals such as the Pufferfish Festival.

Hai'an is the largest pufferfish breeding center in the world. Its pufferfish industrial park has become a nationally renowned demonstration area, and the "Zhongyang pufferfish" has also become a national geographical indication product.

Chefs cook pufferfish dishes during a pufferfish cooking competition on May 12. [Photo/IC]