Photo shows a grand traditional Morin Khuur performance held on the eve of Mongolian Naadam festival for National Day on Sukhbaatar Square in Ulan Bator, Mongolia, July 5, 2011. (Xinhua/Huang Longjie)

ULAN BATOR, June 30 (Xinhua) -- The Sixth International Morin Khuur Festival cum Competition kicked off here Saturday.

The biannual event aims to enrich the repertoire of the morin khuur, a traditional Mongolian bowed stringed instrument also known as the horse-head fiddle, improve the skill of players, and promote Mongolian culture internationally.

Around 300 professional and amateur players, morin khuur craftsmen and researchers from nine countries, including Mongolia, China, Russia and Japan are participating in the festival.

During the six-day event co-organized by the World Morin Khuur Association and Mongolian capital's Department of Art and Culture, the professional and amateur players will present classic works on the morin khuur.

In addition, relevant officials will discuss ways of promoting the Mongolian fiddle worldwide, and an expo of the two-stringed musical instrument will take place in the capital.

The morin khuur is identified by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as one of the Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.