Wuzhen Theater Festival kicks off with variety of outdoor live performances

The 11th Wuzhen Theater Festival raised the curtain Thursday evening in the ancient water town of Wuzhen in Zhejiang Province, east China, bringing together theatrical artists of all ages and enthusiasts from home and abroad.

This year's festival, which runs until Oct. 27 under the theme of "solidarity," features 24 specially invited plays from 11 countries. Of these, 18 performances will compete in the emerging theater artists' competition segment, as well as teaching and reading sessions and outdoor carnivals.

One of the festival's major attractions is the ancient town carnival, which has been drawing crowds of audience members and visitors. Each street is adorned with different scenes, creating an immersive experience.

At Zhaoming Academy, two young theatrical artists performed a puppet show that captivated numerous tourists.

"The marionette seems to come to life through the background music reminiscent of Nanyin (ancient court music) and the performer's lines reflecting an expression of inner self," said Song Qingru, a theater enthusiast.

"It's a popular festival, accessible to everyone. We ordinary people can enjoy it. I love these dramas and come here to take photos and appreciate the performances," said Xu Jufen, a visitor.

The drama fair at this festival features a variety of elements, including music, movies, designer toys, exhibitions, and fairs. It gathers inheritors of intangible cultural heritage and drama performers from across China, merging traditional folk cultures with contemporary arts.

"We invited artists from Peking Opera and Qinqiang Opera (a Chinese folk opera genre originating in the Western Zhou Dynasty (1046 BC-771 BC) to perform in Wuzhen. Tourists can sit on benches to appreciate traditional Chinese dramas, allowing us to share and spread our cultural heritage," said Lu Yaping, one of the program heads for intangible cultural heritage.

The U.S. dollar weakened in late trading on Friday.

The dollar index, which measures the greenback against six major peers, fell 0.17 percent to 97.900 at 1900 GMT.

In late New York trading, the euro rose to 1.1778 dollars from 1.1751 dollars in the previous session, and the British pound was up to 1.3622 dollars from 1.3583 dollars in the previous session.

The U.S. dollar bought 156.71 Japanese yen, higher than 156.67 Japanese yen in the previous session. The U.S. dollar decreased to 0.7766 Swiss francs from 0.7788 Swiss francs, and it climbed to 1.3681 Canadian dollars from 1.3635 Canadian dollars. The U.S. dollar lost to 9.2323 Swedish kronor from 9.2432 Swedish kronor.