An international festival in the city of Pingyao, north China's Shanxi Province, is offering art lovers a visual feast of sculptures.

The Third Sculpture Projects Pingyao 2020 is being held this year in a new format, mixing virtual activities with in-person exhibitions, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The online and offline shows feature over 200 sculptures by world-renowned masters.

Zhong Sufei, the event's curator, said the online display, which also shows works from the previous two years, will last for one year until the opening of the 2021 edition of the festival.

The festival is also paying tribute to the fight against COVID-19 with a special exhibition on the topic.

The ancient city of Pingyao was named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1997.