Opera performers sit on stage. [Photo/ent.people.com.cn]

The original play Spring Dawn on the Su Causeway, co-produced by the National Theater of China and Hangzhou Performing Arts Group, premiered in Beijing on April 5.

Audiences in Shanghai, Chengdu, Nanjing, Shenzhen, Hangzhou, and Wuzhen watched the live broadcast of the performance simultaneously in the "second scene" format – a new format for digital performing arts developed by the National Theater of China wherein ultra-high-definition live works are created in real-time during performances at the "first scene" through a digital production and broadcasting system and distributed to multiple "second scenes" through theater-to-theater distribution chains, providing immersive live content.

Su Dongpo is an important symbol of Chinese culture and civilization, specifically Song Dynasty (960-1279) culture, and was mayor of Hangzhou in ancient times.

The creators explored Su's life as gleaned from complex historical materials, adopting a non-linear narrative structure to depict the life of the literati.

The play adopts a Song Dynasty aesthetic, innovatively incorporating landscape paintings and using a minimalist stage with movable screens to create changes.

The play will continue its run at the National Theater of China until April 14 before embarking on a nationwide tour.

A poster for the opera. [Photo/mct.gov.cn]