Attila will be directed by the general manager of Palace of Art Budapest, Csaba Kael, and star bass Giacomo Prestia from Italy, as Attila, and soprano Csilla Boross from Hungary as Odabella, the heroine.

A series of commissioned projects by the festival will also be highlights, such as a new symphonic poem composition by Tan Dun, the play Green Snake from the National Theater of China, and an original musical North of the Suzhou Creek, about the life of Jewish refugees in Shanghai during World War II.

A "week of Argentina" will take place during the festival featuring tango dance and music shows, a black-light puppet performance and a concert by pianist Nelson Goerner.

The festival has been dedicated to the introduction of performing arts from other countries with a high artistic level and innovative ideas, says Teng, the artistic director.

"We are making more efforts to take China's high-quality shows to the foreign market, too."