Each year, the Wuzhen Theater Festival gathers outstanding performance troupes and artists from all over the world. But there is also a dedicated group working behind the scenes to ensure the event's success.

These young volunteers consist of colleague students, avid fans of the theater and visitors from all over China. They've been a very important part of the Wuzhen Theater Festival since its inception in 2013. Volunteers can be seen at almost every corner of the town, from event venues to hotels serving the festival. They support the event on every level, which includes catering, ushering and some of them even help with show productions. Liu Yanxi from Hangzhou was a volunteer at the 4th Wuzhen Theater Festival in 2016. She has been back every year since.

Like many of the other volunteers, Liu is a theater enthusiast. And this passion drew her to become part of the event.

LIU YANXI "I love theater so much. Since I was a little girl, I love seeing performances. Now we can go to the ancient courtyard theater to see the place we worked."

The Ancient Courtyard Theater is one of the venues where Liu and other volunteers work with performing troupes.

LIU YANXI "This is where we rehearse and communicate with each other. This is where I have the amazing experience. I love this place, the ancient courtyard theater."

Each year, the Wuzhen Theater Festival recruits hundreds of volunteers to support the art feast. Many volunteers have highly rated the experience and say they expect to continue their involvement in the event in the future.