Three years and 500 million yuan later, this architectural spectacle has made the dream a reality, just in time for the Wuzhen Theatre Festival. And what better way to kick things off than with playwright Stan Lai’s epic eight-hour play "A Dream Like a Dream".

The auditorium has a capacity of 12 hundred, and is configured to ensure that no sight-lines are blocked. Playwright Meng Jinghui’s "Murder at the Garden in the Air", and veteran director Tian Qinxin’s acclaimed "Four Generations under One Roof", are also programmed to feature in the festival.

Delicate watertown scenery of Wuzhen

Apart from the main venue, six smaller scale theaters in the ancient town will also host plays from both China and abroad, from established dramatists, as well as upcoming youngsters.