The winter edition of the live-action historical dance drama, "The Song of Everlasting Sorrow," was staged on Sunday in Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province, offering audience a captivating visual feast and immersing them in the grandeur of the Tang Dynasty (618-907).
Based on the epic poem by renowned Chinese poet Bai Juyi (772-846), the performance vividly recounts the romantic tale of Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty and his beloved concubine Yang Yuhuan.
Staged within the city's cultural landmark Huaqing Palace, a former winter resort for emperors in the Tang Dynasty located at the foot of the Lishan Mountain, the performance captivated over 3,000 spectators with its stunning visual effects.
This year's version saw innovative enhancements to the costumes, props, and sound design, with a particular focus on heightening the icy and snowy effects on stage. Combined with the illumination of the Huaqing Palace complex, the historical drama presented a visually stunning winter wonderland that transported the audience back to the glorious Tang era.
"The performance was very impressive. It was my first time to come to Xi'an to feel the culture of the Tang Dynasty, and it was wonderful to see the flourishing era of the Tang Dynasty come alive before my eyes," said a tourist from north China's Hebei Province.
"Judging from the choreography to the stage arrangement, the choice of costumes and songs, and the color matching, it was a very thoughtful performance," said another tourist from central China's Henan Province.
Since its debut in the winter of 2021, the winter version of "The Song of Everlasting Sorrow" has welcomed over 840,000 visits to Xi'an, seamlessly blending historical storytelling, stage artistry, and modern technology.
The 2024 edition is scheduled to run until February 28, 2025.
Xi'an, a city with over 3,100 years of history, served as the capital for 13 dynasties for more than 1,100 years. It is also home to the world-renowned Terracotta warriors created in the Qin Dynasty (221-207 BC).
Stunning Tang Dynasty dance captivates audience in historic Xi'an city
Stunning Tang Dynasty dance captivates audience in historic Xi'an city
Stunning Tang Dynasty dance captivates audience in historic Xi'an city
Senior representatives from major regional news media organizations, gathering at the ongoing 12th Global Video Media Forum (VMF) in China, say they are looking to amplify the voices of the media in the Global South to help consolidate cooperation and friendship in an ever more challenging global environment.
The forum opened in Quanzhou in east China's Fujian Province on Tuesday, bringing together 200 media representatives from over 60 countries and regions in the historic coastal city.
By working more closely together, media organizations in the Global South can reap rewards that might otherwise be unavailable, according to Ahmed Nadeem, Secretary-General of the Asia-Pacific Broadcast Union.
"If we work together, there is an opportunity for us to bring out the best from these Global South countries who have much less resources," he said.
Other media representatives at the VMF stressed that in challenging times, it is even more important for developing countries to have their voices heard on the global stage.
"[The Global] South media have a lot of responsibility to build a new opinion," said Issoufou Sare, Director-General of BF1 Television.
"[The media can provide] solutions for misunderstandings or stereotypes. So the media have a major role. They can bridge our cultures and make us know each other better," said Feten Fardi, head of Arab and International Cooperation Unit, Arab States Broadcasting Union.
The event also witnessed the launch of the "Global South Media Dialogue and Cooperation Mechanism and Joint Initiative," a program to support closer cooperation led by China Media Group.
"That will help to promote our voices, our realities to make the world know better about our customs, realities, about our history, about our culture, customs, about our problems, but also our achievements," said Martin Hacthoun, chief editor of Press Latina News Agency.
The two-day VMF is being held under the theme "Intelligence Without Frontiers, Vision Beyond The Horizon -- Media's Role in Communication and Cultural Exchange."
Launched by the CCTV Video News Agency (CCTV+) in 2011, the VMF is an annual professional journalism forum focusing on the latest trends and innovations in news and journalism, which provides a highly specialized, unique and interactive platform for domestic and foreign media peers.
Media groups aim to amplify voice of Global South at VMF
