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Participants of an expats' tour to the Wuzhen Theatre Festival pose for a group photo in Wuzhen town on Oct 19. [Photo/WeChat account: gh_dce4a5933cde]

An international cultural exchange event welcomed guests from Russia, Italy, Portugal, Morocco, and other countries to Wuzhen town in Tongxiang, a county-level city in Jiaxing, East China's Zhejiang province, on Oct 20.

The group explored Wuzhen's Xizha scenic area and encountered spontaneous street performances along the way. The shows ranged from physical theater inspired by traditional Chinese opera to playful puppet acts and energetic modern dance flash mobs.

At the Indigo Fabric Workshop, the visitors enjoyed a robot performance by Unitree, where robots dressed in traditional costumes danced to lively folk music, earning astonished applause. At the Guole Theater, they attended the festival's classic play Xiao Zhu She, engaging deeply with its emotional storytelling and cultural symbolism before sharing their impressions with the cast and crew.

Beyond scheduled performances, the guests participated in lively carnival-style festivities. They witnessed street magic, observed skilled paper-cutting artisans, and even joined impromptu theater skits with local performers, experiencing the spontaneity and inclusiveness of Chinese theater culture.

Organizers said the event aimed to deepen overseas visitors' understanding of Chinese cultural heritage through immersive experiences, showcasing the open and inclusive spirit of Tongxiang and Jiaxing to a global audience.