Huang addresses a crowd in a Wuzhen street that's festooned with portraits of theater legends.

Ripples, a lyrical tale of a college graduate who returns home to be a librarian, turned out to be a major hit, coincidentally shining a spotlight on the town where the story is set and shot.

The friendship between Huang and Chen morphed into an idea for a theater festival.

They enlisted the help of theater impresarios Stan Lai and Meng Jinghui, who also became founders.

When theater lovers were paddled across an expanse of water and set foot on the cobblestone lanes of the ancient town, most did not expect to find the purest event of its kind in what is essentially a tourism business.

That was in 2013 and now the Wuzhen festival has grown into what Lin Zhaohua, a living legend in Chinese theater, and many others call "the best in the country".

Tourists are usually dazed when they bump into Huang in one of the narrow streets. While they give the "I can't believe it" look, he smiles at them. He does not have an entourage.

Actually, the parade of celebrities who descend on Wuzhen during the 10-day event in mid-October all mingle with the crowds. Some may try to hide their faces on the first day, but quickly take down the dark glasses and masks. They come for Huang, stay for the shows and become voluntary advocates for the festival.

Although the envy of other Chinese arts festivals, the star presence is just icing on the cake.

"The festival does not belong to the visiting celebrities. It belongs to the public. The festival itself is the biggest star," says Huang.