The opening ceremony for the Shanghai Culture Week at Edinburgh Festival Fringe was held in Edinburgh on Thursday to highlight Shanghai culture and arts.

The free event mainly includes public open day of traditional Shanghai culture and opening orchestral concert led by one of China's most distinguished conductors, Cao Peng, on Friday and an exhibition of Chinese contemporary design from Saturday to Sunday.

Speaking at the opening ceremony at the city chambers, Donald Wilson, Lord Provost of the City of Edinburgh, said August is the busiest season of festivals in the city, and Shanghai Culture Week will not only promote the government-to-government and people-to-people exchange, but also strengthen the links between the two cities of Edinburgh and Shanghai.

Pan Xinchun, Chinese Consul General in Edinburgh, said this is the first time for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe to hold a culture week event in the name of a Chinese city. However, there are more than a dozen of Chinese cultural and art groups attending the Edinburgh Festival Fringe each year.

Richard Lewis, Culture and Sport Convener at Edinburgh city council, said the event was conceptualized during his visit to Shanghai in November 2015.

Running from Aug 5 to Aug 29, the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2016 features more than 3,000 incredible, unique and inspiring events in around 460 sites including theaters, bars and churches.

Welcoming its 70th anniversary in 2017, the Edinburgh Festival Fringe maintains its open-access principle that makes the festival such a compelling and unique experience, according to Shona McCarthy, chief executive of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.