The opening ceremony of the 6th National Puppet Show was held in Yangzhou, East China's Jiangsu province on May 31.

The performance will run until June 6.

Thirty-one shows performed by 31 puppet troupes from across the country are being staged for free during the period.

Chen Yingxian, head of the China Puppet Shadow Play Art Association headquartered in Chengdu, Southwest China's Sichuan province, said that the event, held every four years, is designed to showcase the innovation and preservation achievements of the traditional folk art, which was listed as a national intangible cultural heritage item in 2006.