Visitors explore a Chinese folk festival at the National Centre for the Performing Arts in June, 2019. Photo: CNSphoto

The 20th Meet in Beijing International Arts Festival opened Monday with a concert delivered by Chinese and Japanese artists at the National Centre for the Performing Arts.

More than 60 performances and three exhibitions will be staged over the following month as part of the festival by art troupes and over 700 artists from 12 countries and regions, including the National Ballet of China, the Maria Pages Company, French pianist Richard Clayderman and the Berlin Philharmonic.

The festival this year will feature elements of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, which will remain a feature for the next two editions of the festival.

As the 2020 Tokyo Olympics are also around the corner, Japan was chosen as the festival's guest country of honor this year.

The closing ceremony of the festival will take place on February 4 at the Beijing National Stadium.