A Homesick Warrior will tell an ancient Chinese epic at the Tianqiao Performing Arts Center from May 18-19. [Photo provided to chinaculture.org]

Bringing arts to a wider audience

Festival organizers said they're trying to make arts in the capital more accessible, with lower entry tickets and more cultural events held in school campuses, as well as occasionally free access to master classes and workshops.

"We offer tickets as low as 20 yuan ($3) for some performances. For students and children, some tickets are free," said Wang.

Meet in Beijing is an annual event sponsored by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the State Administration of Radio and Television, and the Beijing municipal government.

It's organized by the China Arts and Entertainment Group and Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism.

Over the past 19 years, the festival has invited more than 30,000 artists from around the world, attracting more than 4.2 million attendees to the capital.