As a key activity of the 12th Asia Arts Festival, an exhibition on the traditional costume of ASEAN nations and China -- the China-ASEAN Costume Exhibition -- is on display in Chongqing, southwest China.

On October 10, the opening ceremony was held in the China Three Gorges Museum. Chinese Minister of Culture Cai Wu cut the ribbon at the opening ceremony together with Chongqing Mayor Huang Qifan and Chairman of Philippine National Commission for Culture and the Arts, Hon Felipe M. de Leon Jr.

Chinese Minister of Culture Cai Wu (third from the left) and Chongqing Mayor Huang Qifan (second from the left) visited the exhibition in the China Three Gorges Museum, Oct. 10, 2011. [Photo/Xinhua]

The opening ceremony was unveiled with a grand show, with 20 models in traditional costumes of the ASEAN counties as well as Chinese traditional clothing; costumes of several ethnic groups in China were also shown.

The exhibition and the costume show is a showcase of development and achievement in costume processing technology in ASEAN nations and China. It is reported that as much as 120 suits of costumes from ASEAN nations and China are on exhibition during the 12th Asia Arts Festival and the 3rd China Chongqing Culture and Arts Festival until Oct 20.

A model presents a creation in the opening ceremony of a costume exhibition of China and ASEAN in Chongqing Municipality, southwest China, Oct 10, 2011. [Photo/Xinhua]