During the 6th Wuzhen Theater Festival, CGTN's Erica Pitzi has visited the town and shared her theatrical experience of Wuzhen from a foreign perspective.
"As you well know by now, Wuzhen is all about the water, and that is why I am on a boat. But the true magic of the Theater Festival happens on land. So I am about to take you on a ride or rather a stroll through this awesome little town. So we can take a look at what the Wuzhent Theater Festival has to offer and what better place to begin in this watertown, then the Water Theater." Erica went to a visit to the ancient water town during her stay in Wuzhen.
The Wuzhen's Water Theater. /Photo courtesy of Wuzhen Theater Festival
Once she arrived at the Water Theater, Erica discovered it is the largest theater of all the ten venues here at the festival, where more than 2,000 people can watch the performance from across the water.
The Wuzhen's Ancient Courtyard Theater. /Photo courtesy of Wuzhen Theater Festival
"And what is so great is that it doesn' take too much time to walk from theater to theater. Plus, what I love about Wuzhen is that how beautiful the scenery is. It is just a town rich with culture," Erica added on her way to Wuzhen's Ancient Courtyard Theater.
"Of the ten theaters throughout the Wuzhen Theater Festival, this one you cannot miss and we are going to show you why... Welcome to the Ancient Courtyard Theater. It is a beautiful traditional Chinese theater that was originally built to be an open-air theatre back in the late Qing dynasty more than 100 years ago. Of course, it has been restored with a few modern touches, and this is where you can come to see traditional Chinese opera as well as some contemporary operas," said Erica as she arrived in the Ancient Courtyard Theater.
Erica Pitzi with a local Huagu Opera artist in Wuzhen. /CGTN photo
Then Erica headed to the Water Market, where the stage of the local Huagu Opera located: "All right, we are at a place now, where are you probably seen quite a lot in our shows this week because our studio is right there across the water. This is the stage right above the water for the Huagu Opera, also known as the flower drum opera, and this is traditional local opera here in Wuzhen. We are about to get up close and personal with the performers. Come on." Erica later came to watch the local traditional Huagu Opera and met with Mei'e, who has been performed the opera for 37 years, and the artist showed Erica how this traditional opera is done.