It takes three actors to manipulate the life-size horse in the play War Horse. [Photo by Jiang Dong/China Daily]

The China International Performing Arts Summit 2015 was launched in Beijing on Sept 6. Some 300 artists, performing-arts mangers and art officials participated in the event.

Xu Shipi from the Ministry of Culture delivered a speech entitled "Performing Arts in China, Dramatic Changes in the Last Decade".

Zhou Yuyuan, president of National Theatre of China, and Li Dong, producer of National Theatre of China, shared backstage stories of War Horse, a co-production with National Theatre of Britain. The play is running now through Oct 31 in Beijing and will be part of the Shanghai International Arts Festival in November and tour Guangzhou next March through May.

During the summit, many presenters signed contracts with the production companies.

The annual summit is organized by China International Venue Ally and the first was held in 2013 in Hangzhou, East China's Zhejiang province.