The 15th China Children's Theatre Festival opened in Jiaxing City, east China's Zhejiang Province on Friday evening, aiming to enrich children's summer vacation with more than 180 touring performances and a series of special theater activities in multiple cities across the country.

Curated from an international pool of talent across four countries, the festival presents a rich lineup of nearly 40 different children's plays, which will be staged across multiple cities.
The festival also aims to break the boundaries of traditional theater spaces by offering immersive interactive activities that extend the reach of drama into streets and neighborhoods.
"We are not only bringing children into the theater to watch performances. There are also markets, pre-show introductions, and post-show parades. Children can not only see high-quality productions on stage but also learn about behind-the-scenes stories," said Mao Ernan, deputy director of the China National Theatre for Children and secretary-general of the organizing committee for the festival.
As the main venue for this year's festival, Jiaxing has also offered supporting cultural tourism discounts, drama-themed study tour routes, and parent-child travel packages, aiming to create a two-way synergy between culture, arts, and urban tourism.
"We have already coordinated with more than 80 organizations to jointly promote this effort, creating a favorable environment for parent-child travel from surrounding cities. The idea is that families can come to Jiaxing to watch a play, stay overnight, and enjoy the beautiful scenery of Jiaxing," said Zhang Zhihua, deputy director of the Culture and Tourism Bureau of Xiuzhou District in Jiaxing City.
The festival will run until the end of August.