The 2024 Guilin Festival kicked off in Guilin, South China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, on Saturday to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Southwest Drama Exhibition and add cultural charm to the world-known tourism destination.

In the spring of 1944, veteran Chinese playwrights, including Ouyang Yuqian and Tian Han, proposed and organized the first Southwest Drama Exhibition in Guilin, which lasted over three months. The event became a phenomenon and garnered widespread acclaim, particularly for its role in uplifting spirits during the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-45).

The Guilin Festival was established for the first time in 2022 to continue the theatrical traditions of the Southwest Drama Exhibition and nurture young theatrical talent.

The inaugural "Ouyang Yuqian Awards", initiated by the Central Academy of Drama, was officially announced and presented for the first time during the opening ceremony.

Running from Oct 26 to Nov 3, the event features 48 performances by artists from six countries including Sweden, Australia, South Korea, Italy and the United Kingdom.

Many performances will take place outdoors with nature as a backdrop, such as mountain theaters, cave theaters, tree theaters and tent theaters. The festival also features theatrical parades, artistic dialogues, urban art displays and theater education initiatives, transforming the city into an "unwalled theater".

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