Live performances back in business

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During the Spring Festival holiday, 308 million domestic visits were made by tourists, a rise of just over 23 percent year-on-year, and 88.6 percent of the level reached in 2019.

According to the China Association of Performing Arts, some 3,300 performances were staged at tour sites during the holiday, producing total revenue of 193 million yuan and audiences of about 2 million.

Chengdu, capital of Sichuan province, was one of the most popular destinations during Spring Festival. Every night during the holiday, concerts, standup acts and folk arts were staged in Wide and Narrow Alleys in the city center, which boasts a mix of historical areas and modern commerce.

Xi'an, capital of Shaanxi province, also saw a large number of visitors during the holiday.

Huaqing Palace, one of the city's most popular tourist sites, was the setting for an outdoor show, Song of Everlasting Regret, based on Tang Dynasty (618-907) poet Bai Juyi's eponymous work. The three shows a day attracted a total audience of about 430,000.

In Jiangsu province, the Jiulongkou Scenic Area in Jianhu county attracted 420,000 visitors from Jan 23-27, a rise of 16.7 percent year-on-year. Nine outdoor and indoor performances of Jiulong Immersive, a multidimensional Huaiju Opera show, were staged in the scenic area each day.

Nine sites in this area, including an old arched bridge, a traditional Chinese pavilion, a teahouse and a small bay, were transformed into performance areas.

Featuring buildings from the late Ming Dynasty and the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), centuries-old trees and fish-filled waters, visitors strolled through the area's narrow stone-paved lanes to watch live outdoor performances and interact with the artists.

Huaiju Opera, which dates to the Qing Dynasty, combines singing in the Jianhu dialect with dancing. It rose to popularity in Jiangsu and Shanghai in the 1950s.

Director Gao Yan, who worked in 2021 and last year with Huaiju Opera performers, choreographers, acrobats and multimedia artists to create the show, said, "We spent a long time on this large show, and we planned to stage it regularly in the scenic area, but the production was postponed due to the pandemic.

"We premiered the show during the National Day holiday in October. Although audience feedback was good, we still had no idea when we could stage the show regularly.

"Now, in view of audience numbers and good reviews during Spring Festival, we are proceeding as planned, but we will make some adjustments to details to improve the show."

Indoor venues have faced many challenges during the pandemic, particularly from social distancing.

Deng Wei, producer at Star Theater, one of the most popular small theaters in Beijing, said, "We couldn't wait for audience members to sit side-by-side in the theater again, and when they were allowed to do so, we welcomed them at the front door."

The privately owned Star Theater survived the pandemic, but like many others, it reduced the number of performances during this time — affecting its income heavily.

Following the introduction of optimized pandemic prevention and control measures, theaters have reopened. During the three-day holiday to mark the start of 2023, a total of 77 theaters in Beijing staged 352 performances.

Deng said, "We staged The Desperate Love, one of our bestselling plays, which was written in 2013, during Spring Festival, and it sold out immediately.

"On the day the theater reopened, I stood on the second floor watching the front door, where crowds were waiting for the show to start. This scene really touched me."

Deng, who has worked at the theater for five years, added, "As there were no seats available, I watched the entire play by standing at the back of the theater."

chennan@chinadaily.com.cn