The 2013 China (Datong) International Auto Culture Festival, which opened in the city of Datong, Shanxi province, on Aug 8, is one of China's most important events of its kind and people have some big expectations for it after last year's impressive combination of traditional Datong culture and world-class autos.

The theme of this year's festival, which takes place at the city's ancient South Wall, is "Famous autos, famous city, beautiful Datong". It brings a cultural tension between tradition and modernity using Datong's charm.

It is also China's largest auto festival, with many exhibitors of famous brands, classic cars, luxury motorcycles, concept cars and domestic cars, and the top technology from around the world.

The hosts, the Datong municipal government and the China National Automotive Industry International Corp, announced last month that this year's theme will be the permanent one.

The festival is scheduled to run six days, two days longer than the last one, with additional night shows and various activities, such as a car exhibition on the old wall, car model competition, car racing, and robot show, along with other performances.

During this period of economic transformation, Datong is trying to develop its science, technology, and culture, so it has hosted many important similar events this year, including the International Solar Decathlon, which just ended, after helping this old coal center move toward a new solar city. There are also cultural events that are part of Datong’s new development strategy, such as the Yungang Culture and Tourism Festival, which opened on Aug 8 and has become a classic culture brand for the city after having been held 11 times.

These events all come with advanced facilities and ideas and help develop the culture industry and complete the economic transformation process of this historic city.

Edited by Zhou Yuanyuan and Roger Bradshaw