BEIJING, June 8 (Xinhua) -- The following are highlights of China's key cultural news from the past week:

-- An exhibition of Huishan clay sculpture kicked off at the National Art Museum of China (NAMOC), titled "The Life of Clay." Over 120 pieces of fine clay sculptures from Huishan of Wuxi in east China's Jiangsu Province are on display, presenting the historic look and development of the clay sculptures, which originated centuries ago and are now famous across China.

-- The National Center for the Performing Arts (NCPA) kicked off its International Theater Festival 2019 on Thursday. A total of 12 plays from five countries, including China, Russia and Germany, will be staged over 42 performances in Beijing during the festival.

-- A concert featuring traditional Chinese music and poems was held in the National Library Thursday to commemorate the Dragon Boat Festival. Artists performed classical poems with dance and played traditional instruments including Pipa.

-- The Dragon Boat Festival holiday was expected to see an average of 2.05 million inbound and outbound trips made by Chinese and foreign tourists per day, up 7.6 percent year on year, according to the National Immigration Administration.

-- In Taipei, more than 6,000 contestants in 218 teams took part in a dragon boat race on the Keelung River, attracting a large number of audience who cheered for them.