Delegation from Jilin Province marches in. (Photo credit: Xinhua)

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Art performance (Photo credit: Xinhua)

(GUANGZHOU, November 10)-- The 8th Chinese Traditional Games of Ethnic Nationalities opened in Guangzhou on Saturday.

Chinese Vice-Premier Hui Liangyu declared the start of the games after 6,381 athletes marched into the Guangdong Olympic Stadium, according to Xinhua.

The athletes representing China's 55 ethnic groups will compete in 15 ethnic sports including dragon boat racing, Chinese cricket, and martial arts, in addition to 149 demonstration events. Over 8,000 volunteers will serve the nine-day games, the largest since it was inaugurated in 1953.

The host city in the southern Guangdong Province will also stage the World Table Tennis Championships in 2008 and the Asian Games in 2010.