Outdoor carnival highlights Wuzhen Theatre Festival

A "Santa Clause" climbs down from a 51-meter high building in Wuzhen during the Wuzhen Theatre Festival. (Photo/Screenshot from CNTV)

Wuzhen is a Stage during the Wuzhen Theatre Festival! Aside from the international giants of the world stage who are gracing the riverside, a nonstop carnival is also ongoing in the narrow streets and small plazas of the ancient town.

It's not Christmas yet, but Santa Clause has come to the ancient town of Wuzhen.

Well this Santa Clause is from France and sends greeting to visitors at the Outdoor Carnival of the Wuzhen Theatre Festival. Climbing down from the 51-meter high building, "Santa" then gives some little presents to the curious onlookers.

"It's a breathtaking performance. It's like the performer came out of a fictional story and landed on an ancient building in a small town," says a visitor.

"When I'm up in the air, I can see the whole town, which is absolutely beautiful. And when I come down, I see all these lovely people here. I love to interact with them and I really enjoy the performance myself as well," says the French man who plays the Santa Clause.

The ancient water town of Wuzhen in east China's Zhejiang Province has become a paradise for theatre lovers. During the Outdoor Carnival, artists from all over the world will perform for visitors in over 500 performances, including street theatre, music, performance art, traditional Chinese opera and many others. Audiences can come face to face with the vitality of the Carnival amid the ambience of Wuzhen's charming walkways.

"Here, we have theater professionals and amateur performers who came to Wuzhen specifically for theater. There are ordinary tourists who simply wanted to visit Wuzhen, but accidentally ran into a street play. And they probably never saw a live play on their streets before. So it's full of stories," says Shi Hang, playwriter and critic.

Theater originated from outdoor performances, and in Wuzhen, people have returned to the most primitive and pure state of the artform. At each street performance, groups of people gather and listen, immersing themselves in the moment.

"I'm truly overwhelmed by the enthusiasm for art. The atmosphere is really great. So I love performing here at the carnival," says a performer.

The outdoor carnival goes on throughout the 11-day festival, which runs until November 9.