The Seventh China Arts Festival closed in Shaoxing City in east China's Zhejiang Province on Sunday evening.

The 17-day festival was organized by China's Ministry of Culture and co-hosted by five major cities in Zhejiang: Ningbo, Shaoxing, Jiaxing, Wenzhou and Hangzhou.

During the festival, artists from all over the country, including Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, presented nearly 100 dramas, musicals and traditional operas.

There were also 24 arts exhibitions involving painting, photography, Chinese calligraphy and fashion design.

"The festival displayed in one place the greatest achievements and latest fruits in the development of China's stage arts and mass culture," said Chen Xiaoguang, director of the arts festival, at its close.

"This is not only an arts and culture gala but also a festival of the people," said Chen, who is also vice minister of China's Ministry of Culture.

The triennial arts festival, the country's top arts and culture gala, was initiatedin 1987. The eighth festival will be held in central China's Hubei Province in 2007.