"Clown characters" star in Fugui Shouyan, directed by Du Yuan of the National Academy of Chinese Theatre Arts.[Photo provided to China Daily]

Peking Opera has a history spanning more than 200 years and combines several art forms, including singing, dancing, martial arts and acrobatics.

UNESCO declared it as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2010.

According to Xu, over the past 18 years, the festival has established the reputations of a number of young theater directors who are now the backbone of national theater.

One is Huang Ying, who decided to become a theater director after watching the classic play Antique by Beijing People's Art Theatre, in 1997.

Huang majored in biochemistry and molecular biology at the China Agricultural University in Beijing. He then studied directing at the Central Academy of Drama with professor Ding Ruru.

Now, one of the most successful theater directors in China, the 40-year-old has 44 plays under his belt.

"When you sit in a theater to watch a great play, it's always an inspiring experience, which makes you think. For those who want to perform on stage, the theater is a magic place to express and communicate," says Huang, who has been teaching at the Beijing Film Academy since 2005.