Dance drama inspires Dunhuang craze

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The ethnic dance drama Silk Road sparked great enthusiasm over the mystic Dunhuang when it premiered thirty years ago. The drama is being repackaged for the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the founding of New China.

Silk Road is widely regarded as a paradigm of Chinese ethnic dance. The Persian dance and pipa dance transport the audience back to a splendid and prosperous Dunhuang a thousand years ago.

Mural painter Zhang and his daughter Ying Niang fight against evil forces.

The drama integrates the enduring bond of friendship and the splendid Dunhuang art.

Silk Road has toured over thirty countries and regions since its premiere in 1979.

International media have called it a milestone in Chinese dance drama.

The new adaptation caters more to a contemporary taste, with elaborate stage settings and flamboyant lighting. The old story seems destined to thrill another generation of audiences today.