SHANGHAI -- An outdoor gala, the opening performance of the 22nd China Shanghai International Arts Festival, was held in Shanghai on Saturday evening.

German conductor Christoph Eschenbach led a newly established Chinese orchestra to present a musical feast for nearly 3,000 people in the square of the Shanghai Exhibition Center, a historic landmark in Shanghai.

"The China Shanghai International Arts Festival is special as it is a festival for all people. The theme for our concert tonight is love and peace," Eschenbach said.

Dressed in black and silver, renowned Romanian soprano Angela Gheorghiu dazzled the audience with her charisma, winning huge applause when she sang the folk song "Jasmine Flower" in Chinese.

Russian violinist Maxim Vengerov also paid tribute to Chinese culture by playing the famous Chinese work "The Butterfly Lovers."

The arts festival will run until Nov 15.