The 15th South Sea Guanyin Cultural Festival opens on Nov 17 in Putuo Mountai with a grand ceremony at the square in front of the South Sea Guanyin Statue. [Photo by Wu Bo/provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The 15th South Sea Guanyin Cultural Festival, which began Nov 17 and ends Sunday, was held at Putuo Mountain, an island under the administration of Zhoushan in East China's Zhejiang province.

The festival began with a grand ceremony at the square in front of the South Sea Guanyin Statue, a 33-meter-high bronze statue that sits on the southeast corner of Putuo Mountain by the sea, with views the surrounding hills.