"Since the festival was launched, it has changed Wuzhen's ambience somewhat, making it a more lively place. Today, many young people first learn about Wuzhen through the festival, and the festival has become a yearly getaway for people of different ages and backgrounds."

This year, the festival celebrates its 11th edition, which is scheduled to run from Oct 17 to 27 under the theme of "Solidity" and the slogan, "Spirit like a torch; faith like a great rock".

In the course of 11 days, 24 productions from 11 countries will be staged at 11 theater venues, with a total of 86 performances. Eleven productions are from China and 13 are from countries including the United Kingdom, France and Japan.

A wide range of genres will be featured, including classic dramas, magnum opus productions by veteran theater directors, avant-garde dramas, physical theater and dance dramas.

The festival will see the return of many familiar faces, including Italian theater director and author Eugenio Barba, who came in 2013 for the festival's first edition.