The Tang Xianzu Memorial Hall in Fuzhou is a comprehensive cultural venue built to commemorate Tang Xianzu, one of the world’s hundred great cultural figures and a master of Ming‑dynasty drama in China. It is also one of Jiangxi Province’s ten major memorial halls dedicated to historical luminaries.

A first-hand look at the rehearsal! Spoilers on the opening ceremony’s highlights!

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2025-10-24

(This video was published on the evening of October 23.)

On the evening of October 23, Fuzhou’s Wenchangli district shimmered with dazzling lights. The water-stage of the large-scale live‑action production “Searching for Dreams in the Peony Pavilion” glowed with shifting lanterns, blending seamlessly with the night to create an ethereal, dreamlike atmosphere. The opening ceremony of the 2025 Seventh Tang Xianzu International Theatre Festival’s Exchange Month held its full‑scale dress rehearsal here, presenting a theatrical feast themed “Ten Years of Civilizational Exchanges: A New Voice of the Peony Heard Around the World,” unveiled to audiences for the first time in its complete lineup and in all its splendor.

In the night, Wenchangli is outlined by a dazzling cascade of lights, transforming into a flowing, living scroll of opera. At 7:30 p.m., at the director’s command, the stage lighting system flared to life, officially kicking off the dress rehearsal. Set against a natural waterscape and classical garden, the immersive, real‑world stage ingeniously blurs the boundaries between performer and audience, drawing spectators deep into the world of the drama. The pièce de résistance of the entire production—the “dialogue across time” between Tang Xianzu and Shakespeare—fuses cinematic filming with live performance, creatively weaving together the poignant Eastern aesthetic of *The Peony Pavilion* and the humanistic philosophy of Shakespeare’s works. More than three hundred Chinese and international actors, under shifting lights and shadows, move in perfect harmony, showcasing both the graceful elegance of traditional Chinese opera and the avant‑garde expressiveness of contemporary theater.

A stellar lineup of international artists has emerged as a major highlight of this year’s theater festival. Artists from more than ten countries, including France, Japan, and the United Kingdom, have joined forces with China’s renowned opera masters to present performances that, through song, dance, drama, and instrumental music, showcase Fuzhou’s profound cultural heritage as the “Opera Capital of the East.”

This multifaceted presentation stems from the creative team’s meticulous exploration of “mutual learning among civilizations.” During a rehearsal break, chief director Zhang Xian articulated the core vision of the production: “We aim not only to stage a performance, but also to create a tangible contemporary art space where Tang Xianzu and William Shakespeare can truly meet and engage in dialogue.” She added with deep emotion: “This gala is our tribute to Master Tang; may the ‘Four Dreams of Linchuan’ resonate not only across the night sky of Fuzhou, but also illuminate the global stage.” To this end, the team has innovatively adopted a three‑act structure, using a concrete enactment of the “Tang–Shakespeare Dialogue,” a boundary‑breaking reinterpretation of traditional opera, and an immersive fusion of artists from multiple nations—allowing a spiritual resonance that spans four centuries to flow vividly within an aesthetic realm.

Professor at Nanchang University and a first‑class actor, Chen Li—winner of China’s Plum Blossom Award for Theatre and the Wenhua Performance Award, as well as a national-level inheritor of intangible cultural heritage—shared in an interview: “It is a great honor to share the stage with Kunqu Opera and Cantonese Opera; the program’s design is truly innovative. Fuzhou not only boasts stunning landscapes but also shines brightly thanks to cultural giants like Tang Xianzu. To take part in such a grand event in my hometown fills me with immense pride!”

Despite the cool nighttime temperatures, the rehearsal venue still drew a steady stream of residents and theater enthusiasts. Stage technicians were putting the final touches on transitions, sound, lighting, and other technical aspects. Ms. Li, a local resident, captured the highlights on her phone and said with delight, “Even though it’s just a rehearsal, I can already sense the grandeur and artistry of the opening ceremony, which has only heightened my anticipation for the official performance!”