Yan Yinliang and the Summer Palace, a Guizhou lantern opera, was staged at the Yonglian Cultural Center, Zhangjiagang, on Nov 4 to highlight the sixth Yangtze River Drama Festival.

The royal-court-themed play told the story of Yan Yinliang, a rural resident from Guizhou in the late Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). He was involved in the Summer Palace's inscribed board collection during his trip to Beijing. The collection depicted a cluster of political conflicts in the process of Yan's inscription. It portrayed Yan as an honest and bold man unafraid of authority. Characters including Cixi, the Empress Dowager and Prince Gong were elaborated to be friendlier compared to their solemn images on TV.

The drama featured the folk songs and dances of Guizhou lantern opera, offering a unique taste of opera culture as well as Guizhou's history.

Zhu Jian, a second-class actor, played the key role of Yan Yinliang. Deng Fang, a second-class actress, played the role of Cixi. Wei Xiaoping, a first-class director, directed the show.