The Third National Ethnic Drama Festival will open in Hohhot, capital of the Inner Mongolia autonomous region from July 25 to Aug 13.

The triennial festival, co-launched by the State Ethnic Affairs Commission and the Ministry of Culture, is one of the country's highest-level events featuring ethnic drama.

Fifteen works, involving about 1,000 performers from 11 provinces and autonomous regions, will be staged at the festival. Academic seminars will also be held.

The Adventures of Marco Polo will open the festival. The play will then go to The White House Theatre in Branson, Missouri, for 3 months in August. The show will also be performed in Beijing in December, before taking up residence in Hohhot.