The annual Wuzhen Theatre Festival recently turned the 1,300-year-old water town Wuzhen in Zhejiang province into a grand stage for performance and self-expression.

Aside from hosting plays from China and abroad, competitions and panel discussions will take place in Wuzhen's various theater venues as the festival's recurrent Outdoor Carnival takes theater arts to the streets.

Even tourists who are unaware of the festival will find themselves immersed in plays, dance and music, with various performances to be discovered at the most unlikely places - squares, docks, bridges and even boats.

Themed "Emerge", this year's festival will run from Oct 25 to Nov 3.