Lotus flowers at Taibai Lake in Jining start to bloom every July. [Photo/jnnews.tv]

The 7th Taibai Lake Lotus Festival kicked off in Jining, East China's Shandong province on July 17. 

A dragon boat racing show makes its debut at this year's lotus festival. [Photo/jnnews.tv]

A number of excellent shows, including singing and dancing performances, were staged during the opening ceremony. A special dragon boat racing show, accompanied by enchanting melodies from the guzheng, a Chinese plucked zither, made its debut at this year's festival.

Taibai Lake is home to a total of 76 species of lotus flowers. The blossoms are of different colors and span thousands of square meters on the lake.

More than 100,000 visitors attend the lotus festival every year since its inaugural edition in 2015, which makes the festival a popular event around Taibai Lake. [Photo/jnnews.tv]

The event is organized by the city's bureau of culture and tourism, the administrative committee of Taibai Lake New Area, Jining Radio and Television Station, as well as Jining Confucius Cultural Tourism Group.