A stage treat

"The number not only proves that my plays are popular but also shows that Chinese people now enjoy going to theaters and watching plays," he says.

Meng is also keen to offer a platform for young Chinese artists. During the ongoing event, there will be four theater-themed exhibitions, including one showing stage photos by Hua Shan and Liu Chang and another showing posters designed by Nie Jingzhu.

The first edition of Contemporary Theater Biennale was held in Futian in 2016, and attracted more than 100,000 people.

Meng's official cultural links with Futian district goes back to 2013, when he was invited by the local government to be its cultural consultant.

Since 2005, more than 200 shows of 20 of his plays, including Rhinoceros in Love and To Live and Soft, have been staged in Shenzhen.