The first China Grand Canal International Guitar Art Festival opens in Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang province, on March 22. [Photo/zjol.com.cn]

The first China Grand Canal International Guitar Art Festival opened in Gongshu district of Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang province, on March 22, gathering a group of world-class classical guitar players and composers from all over the world.

Running until March 25, the festival featured a wide range of guitar-related activities, including concerts, a junior guitar competition, guitar seminars as well as training classes.

As one of the highlights of the festival, Swedish guitarist and composer Johannes Moller, who is dubbed as the "Swedish Mozart", performed at the opening ceremony in directing the junior musicians from a Hangzhou guitar band.

Running more than 2,000 kilometers from Beijing to Hangzhou, the Grand Canal is the longest and oldest man-made canal in the world.