The same went for her experience seeing a performance of Flower in the Mirror, Moon in the Water at the Courtyard Theater. Prior to the performance, the crew appealed to Huichang residents to donate old chairs, many of which were handmade and had been used for decades, to provide seating for the audiences.

"The moment I saw the theater's door, I exclaimed that this is where drama belongs. There is no fabricated scene inside the theater. The walls, the chairs and the objects are all authentic and antique. That's why I feel walking into the theater village is like stepping into a play. It's an environment filled with a theatrical ambience," Liu says.

Lai says the theater village project is creating an ecosystem that's conducive to the sustainable development of cultural and creative industries.

It has already attracted cultural production companies, an immersive experiential theater, as well as a film-and-theater costume rental and photography service.

Huichang entrepreneur Wang Mingfu has collaborated with Lai to establish the Hesheng Institute of Theatre Technology, which offers training for future theater technicians, and Lai's own Theatre Training Above center is also based in the village to provide theater education to enthusiasts.

"I'd like to see what changes a small town will undergo because of theater, because of culture," Lai says.

"It is our wish to witness whether the Huichang Theater Village will turn out to be a piece of fertile land, where all sorts of new things grow and thrive."

Over 200,000 people visited on Jan 5 and 6, respectively, and more than 160,000 came on Jan 7.

The theater village's opening and the first theater season offer a great opportunity to boost Huichang's culture and tourism industries, Zeng Junhua, head of the county's bureau of culture and tourism, says.

"We will focus on improving the five aspects of overall planning, quality, supporting facilities, services and marketing to drive the integrated development of theater, intangible cultural heritage, education and tourism," Zeng says.

Huichang has also established a fund to attract artists from around the world to be based in the village long term. Selected participants will have access to the creative facilities, equipment, technical support and living amenities.

"The theater village is dedicated to creating a vibrant and creative artistic community, providing a platform for artists who are passionate about theater, and are imaginative and dream driven, to showcase their work and exchange with one another," Zeng adds.