Young people play different theatre roles in Wuzhen. Zhejiang province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The Young Theatre Artist's Competition, part of the annual Wuzhen Theatre Festival, has been launched. Young artists apply to the competition with their works based on three elements. By Aug 31, 18 finalists will be announced by the festival.

According to renowned theater actor Huang Lei, co-founder of the festival, this competition section has been "at the core" of the festival since it began in 2013.

Tourists play the rope skipping game in Wuzhen, Zhejiang province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The competition will add some heat to the seventh Wuzhen Theatre Festival, which will be held this October in Zhejiang province's 1,300-year-old water town, Wuzhen. So far, 118 plays from around the world have been staged for 435 performances during the festival, drawing visitors and artists from around the world to live shows at indoor and outdoor venues.