AN award-winning dance drama centered around a 2,000-year-old treasure is set to captivate Shenzhen audiences during its debut in South China later this month, offering the viewers a unique journey back to the Han Dynasty (206 B.C.-A.D. 220).

This original dance drama, “Five Stars Rise in the East,” draws inspiration from an ancient brocade armband unearthed in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in 1995. One of China’s national treasures and a significant archaeological find of the 20th century, the brocade armband features eight embroidered characters that roughly translate to “five stars rise in the east, benefiting China.” The artifact symbolizes the ancient people’s wishes for prosperity of their homeland, and highlights the rich cultural exchanges along the Silk Road.

Excavated from a tomb at the Niya ruins in Xinjiang, the precious armband depicts the vast cultural integration between the Central Plain and China’s western regions during the Han Dynasty. According to historians, an independent oasis state called Jingjue once thrived at Niya, a location along the ancient Silk Road.

The dance drama unfolds against the historical backdrop, telling a touching story involving a border general, the son of a northern nomadic tribal chief and the princess of the Kingdom of Jingjue. The general captured the tribal chief’s son, but they became lost in the desert and found themselves in Jingjue in the end. The three developed an unexpected friendship.

With a dramatic and emotionally rich narrative, the production explores the deep bonds between various ethnic groups in China, embodying the essence of Chinese civilization as “unity in diversity.”

The dance drama combines Eastern aesthetics with the exotic charm of China’s western regions, showcasing the elegant dance of the Han and Tang (618-907) dynasties. Beyond its visual feast, the show features a theme song performed by theater actor Ayanga and singer Tan Weiwei.

This co-production involving dancers from both Beijing and Xinjiang has won the Wenhua Grand Prize at the 13th China Art Festival, a top accolade in performing arts in China, becoming a must-see theatrical classic.

Dong Ning, producer of the dance drama, said that the show aims to “bring to life” China’s cultural heritage for audiences to enjoy. “The ancient Silk Road not only facilitated economic connections, but also created cultural bonds, just like family members,” he said. “So this is a story about people-to-people exchanges.”

Time: 8 p.m., April 18 and 19

Venue: Longgang Cultural Center Grand Theater, Longgang District (龙岗文化中心大剧院)

Metro: Line 3 to Longcheng Square Station (龙城广场站), Exit D

(Claudia Wei)