A CHINESE dance drama has made its global debut on social media platforms abroad, generating a new wave of discussion on the beauty of Chinese culture among art lovers from all over the world.

“Li Bai,” a classic production by the China National Opera and Dance Drama Theater, has struck a chord with global viewers through the telling of a lifelong journey of poet Li Bai (701-762).

After a year of fine-tuning and polishing, the dance drama returned to stage late last year. From plot structure to music composition, stage settings and costume design, the renewed version of “Li Bai” tells the story of China’s literary giant with a fresh new look. The classic piece by the prestigious institution stunned audience members in Beijing in December with sold-out shows. For those who missed it, the theater held a streaming event on its YouTube and Facebook accounts.

With a contemporary perspective and a script where reality is intertwined with fiction, “Li Bai” unfolds around the literati’s movement between the tangible and the intangible as he struggles between his search for the “Taoist way” and “political influence.”

Director Han Baoquan created a stage that reveals Li’s emotional world through choices he makes at key junctures of his life. An aesthetic depiction of the poet’s passion, talent and audacity presents the protagonist who is persistent in his pursuits. Perhaps the most valuable takeaway from the play for an audience member is finding a part of himself or herself in the literary giant.

Under the baton of renowned conductor Tan Lihua, this online broadcast of “Li Bai” is a symphonic choral version, just like the live performance delivered at the National Center for the Performing Arts. The new music composition skillfully combines orchestral symphony with traditional Chinese music, where the tone and timbre of the symphony beautifully sets off the traditional instruments. The music was scored to integrate with the dance and drama to more vividly express the flow of the plot. Audience members can get a taste of the great Tang Dynasty (618-907) as it is presented onstage through poetry, dance and music.

“Art has no boundaries. Audience members don’t necessarily need to know the entire life of the character, or understand this person. But they see a Chinese way of expression, a Chinese story and a Chinese cultural atmosphere,” said Yang Yi, project coordinator of the dance drama.

“Li Bai” was viewed more than 5.57 million times and created a stirring scene on social media platforms outside China, with more than 1.33 million interactions. In telling the story of a great poet, China has once again passed on its heritage and carried Chinese culture forward in its own way.

“Li Bai” is the closing piece of the China National Opera and Dance Drama Theater’s online season, which began in late January and included three other live broadcasts both in China and abroad. The epic dance drama “Confucius” tells the story of the sage with rich historical anecdotes and references to traditional Chinese values. The play received more than 855,000 views on YouTube. “New Year Gala: Ode to Spring” was watched more than 520,000 times on Facebook, in which many Internet users said they felt the welcoming and festive atmosphere of Chinese Lunar New Year. “Melodies of Spring: A Concert of Chinese Music” highlights traditional forms of Chinese art.(China Daily)