China's National Center for the Performing Arts (NCPA) immersed the audience in colorful cultural experiences with 15 performances and 50 activities in a recent art festival celebrating the 17th anniversary of the center.

The audience admired charming symphony concerts, experienced intangible cultural heritage handicraft making, and participated in interactive performances during the festival.
Exquisite performances like dance flash mobs, Yunnan intangible cultural heritage song and dance performance and accordion quintet were staged at the open areas, along with complementing activities such as the book fair, cultural and creative fair, and intangible cultural heritage skill demonstrations.
"We will also organize workshops, jazz performances and other activities, along with some surprise events for the audience to explore, like behind-the-stage visits," said Zhu Jing, deputy director of the NCPA.
This year's art festival featured a specially designed event, enabling the audience to experience the technological power behind artistic creation through programs using 360-degree photography, AI composition and AR animation.
"For example, we launched the 'Everyone can be a conductor' program this year, using the motion sensing technology and music mapping technology. Through the application of artificial intelligence, ordinary audience members are able to step onto the conductor's podium and experience what it's like to be a conductor themselves," said Sheng Lei, an exhibtion planner at the NCPA.
In 2024, NCPA's 11 theaters have hosted 1,200 performances, reaching new heights of performance scale. Since its establishment 17 years ago, the NCPA has created 112 plays, with over 14.2 million audience members watching the performances at the venue.