A gala featuring diverse art forms, from the 600-year-old Kunqu Opera to a children's chorus, was held at Zhongshan Park in Beijing on Monday, unveiling a festival titled The Heart of Beijing, which will feature a variety of programs till the end of this year.

The programs, including live performances, workshops and educational events, will be held at iconic historical buildings in the capital, such as Zhongshan Park, the Temple of Heaven, the Bell and Drum Towers and residences once lived in by celebrities such as Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) writer Cao Xueqin and Chinese artist Qi Baishi (1864-1957).

The festival will also bring programs to Beijing universities, aiming at educating students about the preservation of historical buildings.

The festival will expand into 10 more cities, such as Yuncheng, Shanxi province; Deyang, Sichuan province; and Hohhot, the capital city of the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, introducing historical buildings to a wider audience.

The festival is held to mark the recent inclusion of the Beijing Central Axis into the UNESCO World Heritage List, which has ignited a new wave of enthusiasm for cultural heritage nationwide, creating a conducive environment for the preservation, protection and promotion of heritage sites.