On December 25, a large indoor stage play “The Most Memorable Shaoshan”, directed by Zhang Yimou, one of China's most famous directors, was premiered at a Red Five Star Theater in Shaoshan. It became a new cultural tourism calling card of the region.

The immersive stage play featured poems and songs to showcase Mao Zedong’s upbringing and revolutionary journey. The play was about the birth of original aspiration of “everyone should be responsible for the prosperity of the country” and the mission to salvage the country and save the Chinese people. It was about the exploration of personal fate and the realization of the dream of “the Chinese people had stood upright”. The creation was themed on Mao’s local accent, nostalgia, belief, and the course of struggle. 

The play adopted hi-tech technologies of sound, light, and electricity to create a three- dimensional stage effect based on one-dimensional performance. It gave the audience a richer and more in-depth viewing experience. Zhang Yimou defined "The Most Memorable Shaoshan" as "a picture scroll of poetry, sound, light and shadow". In the video he sent to the premiere ceremony, he said that "The Most Memorable Shaoshan" was his second serial work after a variety show titled "Hangzhou is most memorable" staged during the G20 Summit. The play was an attempt in digital art, a breakthrough of the integration between cutting-edge technologies and traditional concepts, and an expression of modern ideas be means of red or revolutionary culture.

More than 100 professional performers rehearsed for six months to meticulously figure out the characteristics of the characters, and accurately grasp every emotional change. During the premiere, a 60-minute dazzling virtual extravaganza that integrated red culture and high technologies was presented to the audience, by means of poetry, sound, light and shadow. The audience burst into applause when every scene ended.

“The Most Memorable Shaoshan” integrated red culture and performances, according to relevant person in charge of the Shaoshan government. It was an immersive experience of revolutionary traditions and red culture, and diversified the cultural tourism products of Shaoshan.

This article is from Hunan Provincial Government www.enghunan.gov.cn.

Translator: Xiao Juan

Chinese source: hunan.gov.cn