From December 2021 to January 2022, the first Zibo Urban Theatre Festival will be held in the prefecture-level city, situated in East China's Shandong province, with its opening ceremony and theme party to open at the Zibo Grand Theatre at 7:30 pm on Dec 23.

The historical Red Revolution drama Wet Nurse, the modern Peking Opera Zhu Yanfu, the dance drama Banks of the Yellow River are my home and Zibo traditional folk opera – Wuyin Opera's Yun Cui Xian and Dream of the Red Chamber – will be staged at the Zibo Grand Theatre and the Zibo Theatre during the festival.

The Wuyin Opera Yun Cui Xian is inspired by a story from Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio, a collection of supernatural stories by Pu Songling, written during the early Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). [Photo/WeChat account ID: zibowenhualvyou]

Residents can also enjoy the performances online through the official WeChat account of the Zibo cultural and tourism bureau (ID: zibowenhualvyou) or Netease Live.

In addition, small theater plays from Anhui, Yunnan and Guangzhou provinces – as well as opera performances by many local folk troupes in Zibo – will be held in the districts and counties of the city, with free or preferential ticket prices on offer.