Lai's own theater workshop, which is part of Theatre Above, will also be based in the town, providing theater education to amateurs of all age groups.

Octavian Saiu, Romanian theater scholar and critic, said at the news conference on Nov 16 that for the past 20 years, he has worked and studied with all the great theater festivals around the world and draws one commonality.

"All great festivals happen in small cities or in small places, all of them, without exception. They happen in Edinburgh, in Avignon, in Sibiu, in Wuzhen, where an entire community can be integrated into the fabric of that vision," Saiu says.

"Stan Lai, who is the most cosmopolitan theater artist I know, now reconnects with his roots, in this place which he calls a village. I think that is a beautiful symbol in itself. This is a great gift presented by Stan Lai to the place that we are now celebrating — Huichang."

Contact the writer at chengyuezhu@chinadaily.com.cn