SHIJIAZHUANG, March 27 -- The World Theatre Day 2024 Celebration kicked off in the city of Langfang in north China's Hebei Province on Wednesday, marking its return to China after eight years.

Over the course of three days, Chinese playwrights will engage in discussions with their counterparts from countries such as the Philippines, Hungary and India. Artists from home and abroad will showcase a diverse range of performances, including drama, opera, mime and dance drama, according to the organizers.

Co-hosted by the International Theatre Institute (ITI) and China Theatre Association, the event features Norwegian playwright and novelist Jon Fosse, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Literature last year.

Wednesday marks World Theatre Day. Since its inception in 1962 by the ITI, celebration activities have been held across the world annually, with the 2016 edition held in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou.