Initiated in 1992, the Chorus Festival is co-sponsored by the Bureau for External Cultural Relations, the Ministry of Culture of the China and China Performing Arts Agency and China Cultural International Tours Inc., and organized by China Cultural International Tours Inc. The festival is held in Beijing, the capital of China, every two years. Up to 2002, the festival had been successfully held six times.

The aim of this festival is to exchange the art of chorus, to deepen the understanding between peoples and to promote peace and friendship through the exchange of chorus. The China International Chorus Festival draws the world attention and helps promote the cultural exchanges among countries in the world as well as the development of China chorus cause. Participants include renowned Chinese and oversea professional choruses and also amateur choruses from different age groups and all walks of life. From the fourth festival, the organizing committee has set up three awards, namely the Singing Award, the Chinese Work Singing Award, and the Memorial Award. Meanwhile, in order to provide more opportunities for ordinary people to participate in the festival, participant choruses perform in many public places.

The scale and artistic level of each China International Chorus Festival is better than the previous ones, and increasingly attractive to domestic and overseas professionals as well as people from all walks of life.