A Chinese-style dance drama has returned to Chengdu, co-directed by the acclaimed choreography duo Zhou Liya and Han Zhen. Starting Sept. 30, The Journey of a Legendary Landscape Painting presented by the China Oriental Performing Arts Group, opened at the Chengdu City Concert Hall and will run through Oct. 3 for a total of six performances. This marks the second consecutive year that this hit production has secured a slot during the National Day holiday period, offering splendid performances to Chengdu audiences.

The Journey of a Legendary Landscape Painting by Usunhome Group

Using the body as poetry and movement as prose, The Journey of a Legendary Landscape Painting unfolds the magnificent scroll of A Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains through the perspective of a modern-day Palace Museum researcher. Employing a narrative that interweaves time and space, the production follows a thematic progression of "unrolling the scroll, inquiring about seal carving, chanting of silk, seeking stones, practicing brushwork, refining ink, and entering the painting", articulating the unique sensibilities toward landscapes and aesthetic tastes inherent to Chinese culture.

Official data shows that in the more than five years since its premiere in 2021, The Journey of a Legendary Landscape Painting has staged nearly 1,000 performances, with total box office revenue exceeding 780 million yuan. The viral "blue-green waist" move and the fervent audience demand have drawn significant attention within the industry. The production has also expanded into film, music, and cultural creative products, evolving into a cultural IP with immense national recognition.

This marks the sixth time Poetic Dance: The Journey of a Legendary Landscape Painting has visited Chengdu to celebrate the National Day holiday, with all previous five runs selling out. The production shares deep ties with Sichuan province: one of its producers, Usunhome Group, is a local cultural tourism enterprise; and co-director Zhou Liya is a Sichuan native who graduated from the Sichuan Vocational College of Art.

In addition, two other major works by Zhou Liya and Han Zhen are set to debut in Chengdu in succession. The dance drama Wing Chun will return to the Chengdu City Concert Hall on Oct. 10-11 for its third appearance in the city, interpreting tales of the martial arts world through the essence of the intangible cultural heritage of Wing Chun kung fu.

Meanwhile, the newly created dance drama Pillars is scheduled for its Chengdu premiere at the Sichuan Grand Theater on Nov. 20-21, focusing on intellectuals such as Liang Sicheng and Lin Huiyin to showcase the grandeur of traditional Chinese architecture.

Official poster for Pillars by Sichuan Grand Theater

【本篇文字部分内容由 AI 辅助写作，特此声明。Please note: the text in this article was created with the help of AI.】