Special Edition: It’s Officially Wuzhen Theatre Festival 2026!
Junlin Yang
It’s that time of the year again, Wuzhen’s annual Theatre Festival!
This year marks the 13th annual theatre festival, and the theme of this year is “Serene Transcendence”.
In this article, I will talk about the must-dos, and what Wuzhen is looking like this year. I personally got to watch two plays this year: The Playboy of the Western World, directed by the infamous 孟京辉 (Meng Jinghui), and The Wild Duck, originally written by Henrik Ibsen and performed by a German group. If you’re interested, please check out my posts about these two plays! :)
Youth Street Performances
The thing that stood out to me the most this year was the youth street performances. Street performances are usually located all around the scenic area, in places such as the platform next to the Mu Xin Art Museum, and various areas along the main street. There are always huge crowds, but here are some performances I got a glimpse at:
Robots dancing, original traditional Chinese performances by small youth theatre groups, and princess and prince figures on stilts doing a parade (there are ALWAYS people on stilts here!).
Food, Food, Food!
Another thing that has been completely upgraded is the market near the temple. So many food stalls, and definitely enough to stuff you! Angus hamburgers, Korean-style burritos, and a tray of roasted marshmallows… you name it, they have a stall for it there.
I remember last year there were also interactive stalls in this area. My friend and I even tried fortune telling at a stall! I didn’t see any that afternoon, but maybe they came out during the night.
I also cannot stress enough how good local Wuzhen food is, outside of the food stalls. There are so many restaurants to choose from, but for at least 6 consecutive years, I’ve always returned to ONE restaurant: 裕生餐厅!
It opens during lunch, dinner, and late night, with some of the best local food I’ve tried. My personal favorites: 酱鸭 (stewed duck in soy sauce, a very authentic Wuzhen must-try), a large bowl of chicken soup, and Chinese bok choy (鸡毛菜). I BEG YOU TO TRY THIS RESTAURANT IF YOU GO TO WUZHEN!!
If you’re looking for a finer dining experience, I would recommend the restaurant in the hotel “Jintang” on the main street called “Jinyan”. Also a restaurant I’ve been coming back to over and over again, with some very nice Peking duck, crab roe dishes, and more!
If you’re looking for quick or small bites, perhaps try the preserved vegetable flatbread (梅干菜肉饼) and fried dough sticks wrapped in a thin pancake (葱包烩) from the small stalls located along the main street. My absolute go-tos as well!
Shopping Around Wuzhen
In terms of shopping, there are lots of choices too. From traditional blue calico-dye items to Wuzhen collaborations with Shu Uemura!
In recent years, I realized there are so many new franchises coming into Wuzhen. I even saw an Undefeated shop & cafe, SkinCeuticals… and so much more. Many possible souvenirs you could buy!
And of course, there’s CHAGEE inside the scenic area now. They even have a Zhejiang limited-edition drink, so be on the lookout for that if you’re in Wuzhen… but make sure you order 30 mins in advance because so many people will be ordering :)
Mu Xin Art Museum: Homage to Eileen Chang
The special exhibition in the Mu Xin Art Museum this year is “Homage to Eileen Chang”.
Eileen Chang (张爱玲) was one of the most influential Chinese writers of the twentieth century, best known for her novels and short stories exploring relationships, family, and everyday life, often set in Shanghai and Hong Kong. She first became famous in Shanghai during the 1940s, but spent much of her later life outside China, and her writing only regained widespread attention decades later.
The exhibition features some of her original manuscripts, along with a whole wall collage of her famous quotes. One interesting thing I learned was that Chang was also interested in painting, fashion, and even screenwriting! The exhibition gives a glimpse into these different sides of her life, including her own drawings and her distinctive taste in clothing.
My favorite thing about the exhibition was her quotes, here are some personal favorites:
“I can still imagine how arrogant people think, but people like you, who are modest to a fault, I simply cannot understand.”
“I never require my friends to share my opinions, nor do I expect them to. Otherwise, I would have had no friends left long ago.”
“Doing something for others, and feeling a little resentment about it, is what makes life interesting. Otherwise, life would feel too empty.”
And some people don’t know this but: there’s a beautiful library inside the museum on the second floor, filled with plays and literature from famous authors. The perfect place to sit and read, perhaps even ask to play the piano! (Unfortunately all the books are in Chinese, but still visit! I love this staircase library.)
Something New I Tried This Year: The Boat!
Instead of waiting in the long queue for the sightseeing vehicle or walking, you can actually go on a boat, rowed by a local across the scenic area.
This experience was so nice and relaxing, in my opinion very different from just walking around the town. Good pics too!
And Finally… The Crowds!
Something different this year: it’s… the amount of people. I remember during the COVID years, around 2020–2023, the streets of Wuzhen weren’t so crowded. BOY was it crowded this year!
Here’s a photo of me stuck between a bunch of people near a bridge:
Yes, it’s official: Wuzhen (and the Theatre Festival) has become a trend, and people all over China and the world are here for it.
The only downsides are… the crowded streets and queues, but personally, it was definitely worth visiting and worth being part of the hype! And I certainly wouldn't mind if you used this as your next Wuzhen itenary. ;)
