The second Nantong Zilang Music Festival kicks off in Nantong on March 30. [Photo/ntjoy]

The second Nantong Zilang Music Festival took place at the Nantong Grand Theater lawn on March 30 and 31, drawing nearly 20,000 music enthusiasts from across China.

In addition to the exhilarating lineup of pop music presented by 19 musicians and bands, festival goers were also treated to a performance of the Mei'an guqin, a national intangible cultural heritage item in Nantong, as the weekend's opening act.

Guqin performer Ni Ge noted that this was the first time that she has performed the ancient art in front of so many young people. Ni added that she aims to continue performing at such occasions to promote the Mei'an guqin.

Among attendees, over 60 percent came from other cities. To better entertain them, the host city offered free entrance to its State-owned tourist attractions from March 29 to April 1.

A man surnamed Hu from Nanjing said that he was thrilled to learn about the discounts in visiting local attractions and staying in hotels, and that he and his group were pleased with their entire Nantong trip.

A band performs at the second Nantong Zilang Music Festival. [Photo/ntjoy]

A band performs at the second Nantong Zilang Music Festival. [Photo/ntjoy]

Guqin player performs before the festival commences. [Photo/ntjoy]

Music fans cheer for the performers. [Photo/ntjoy]

Festival goers wait for the opening. [Photo/ntjoy]