The 9th China Children's Theatre Festival is underway in Beijing. With a theme of "When Childhood meets Theatre", the event will last for 37 days is expected to benefit some 160,000 spectators.

The festival opened with a children's play "March in the Darkness." Set against the backdrop of the War Against Japanese Aggression, it tells how a group of children, who lost their parents, united encouraged each other. 

A still photo of the opening show "March in the Darkness." /CGTN Photo

"The youth of today are the masters of the future." Through living strongly amid the haze of war, the children stood up from helplessness sorrow conveyed the unbroken spirit of the Chinese people through their young voices.

This is the first time that the battle of Shanghai is performed on the stage in a children's play.

"Besides 'March in Darkness', the theater festival also includes various kinds of children's dramas featuring diverse topics, to present the vigorous picture of prosperous development in this field. Centering in Beijing, the festival also sets up parallel sites in Jinan, Chengdu Shenyang, radiating the fantastic performances nationwide," said Yin Xiaodong, president of China National Theatre for Children.

One hundred ninety-one performances from 15 countries regions will be presented during the festival.

A still photo of the opening show "March in the Darkness." /CGTN Photo

There will also be an international children’s theater cooperation development forum, other theater activities like workshops costume experiences.

"I often bring my kid to the China National Theatre for Children, she likes the shows very much. I think the shows can help cultivate her pursuit of truth, goodness, beauty. We've been closely following the news of the festival will attend the events that interest us," a visitor told CGTN.

Another first for the festival: the "Chinese Foreign Children's Theater Summer Camp." Nearly 100 children from China abroad will gather to share the art of theater. 

National directors actors will give instructions conduct comprehensive training in performances. 

The China Children's Theatre Festival is in its 9th edition. It's deepened the exchange of children's theaters between China foreign countries, broadened the international stage of Chinese children's theater, enhanced the international popularity brinfluence of Chinese children's theater.