A folk singer belts out a traditional song at a ballad culture and art festival in Taiyuan, Shanxi province, which was held from Oct 5 to 7. Forty folk singers from across Shanxi province took part in the event, with 18 performers receiving awards at the end of the competition. Some of the winners will perform at the Shanxi Fellow Spring Festival Gala in 2017. The event aims to present a new image of the province through the performances by local residents. Shanxi folk music, a traditional art form from North China, usually tells stories of famous figures and legends from the region's history through a variety of vocal styles, sometimes sonorous and sometimes enthusiastic. [Photo/sxrb.com]