On August 12, college students opened the 7th College Theatre Festival of China at the Chaoyang Culture Center in Beijing. The performance of several classics over the course of the festival will highlight the 100-year anniversary of Chinese dramas.

The plays staged by the students include An Important Event on One's Life, Three-Yuan Banknotes, and Guardsmen Under the Neon Lights. They were written in the early and middle period of the 20th century by famous Chinese literary figures and scholars Hu Shi, Ding Xilin, and Shen Ximeng.

Over the following 19 days, students from 15 college theater clubs worldwide will perform established plays, such as Arthur Miller's The American Clock, and original dramas they wrote, including The Child Star.

"Students are quite devoted to the event. They do not simply go through the traditional motions on stage. Their performances are original and genuine," said Yang Qianwu, secretary general of Beijing Dramatists' Association. "They do not hope to make a profit from their plays. They stand on the stage because they love it."

About 60 college theater clubs applied to participate in the festival.

A ticket costs five to ten yuan for each performance.

College students perform a drama segment during the opening ceremony of the 2007 College Theater Festival in Beijing on Monday, Aug. 13. More than 60 college drama communities from Chinese and foreign universities and colleges will participate in the grand event, presenting an outstanding drama feast.

(China.org.cn by Wu Jin, August 14, 2007)