The Wuzhen Theater Festival has begun in the eastern Chinese province of Zhejiang. Organizers say their aim is to elevate the annual event to rank alongside the likes of the well-established Avignon or Edinburgh festivals, and build a reputation whereby theater aficionados keep coming back for their fix of art and cultural exchanges.

Now in its sixth year, the Wuzhen Theatre Festival returns with creative and daring shows in one of China's most beautiful settings.

a one-thousand-year-old water town that celebrates both the modern and traditional arts. Running under the theme "MAGNANIMITY", organizers say this year's event is jam-packed with surprises.

HUANG LEI, ACTOR & CO-FOUNDER WUZHEN THEATER FESTIVAL"I think the charm of this festival is that you have a lot of highlights, and you also have very interesting experiments. This year, for the first time, we'll be welcoming artists from Africa for some unusual performances, and some from Mexico. So you'll get to see all these performances in one place, and all within walking distance of each other."

Now it has become one of the most influential theater events in China, and perhaps the most distinctive one.

HUANG LEI, ACTOR & CO-FOUNDER WUZHEN THEATER FESTIVAL "The unique thing about the Wuzhen theater festival is that we aren't assigned to the festival, there's no concrete contract. We are just a group of artists who gather here every year to present something interesting and inspiring to the public. It's out of our hearts, pure and simple, no business interests attached to it."