Students from Chongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications perform during the Golden Hedgehog College Theater Festival. [Photo provided to China Daily]

The Golden Hedgehog College Theater Festival, an annual student theater festival launched in 2001, was launched on August 31.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, this year's event has been moved online with forums, workshops and free shows.

From Sept 6 to Oct 31, award-winning plays from past events will be presented through online streaming.

Theater veterans, including Wu Zhuhong, Shao Zehui and Lin Weiran, will share stories about making theatrical productions and their experiences as newcomers.

Organized by Beijing Theatre Association and Chaoyang District Cultural Center, the annual festival has attracted over 25,000 students from 1,100 universities in China. Nearly 300 theatrical productions have been staged over the past 19 years.