Tianshan: A Story of Canals inspires youth to aid Xinjiang-TIANSHANNET-天山网

The China National Opera House in Beijing staged the modern dance drama Tianshan: A Story of Canals on Saturday to promote patriotism and encourage young talent to contribute to the development of the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The production integrated resources from Jiangsu province and showcased the achievements of cultural cooperation between the two regions. It told the story of a graduate student who returns to his hometown in the Ili Kazak autonomous prefecture. His decision was inspired by the legacy of Lin Zexu, a national hero from the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) who built canals in the area. Through a magical dialogue across time, the student decides to devote himself to the development of his hometown.

The director, Wu Jian, said that they incorporated Lin's story into the creative process as a way to meld its depiction of local customs and practices into the performance. "We hope to promote Lin's patriotic spirit through this drama."

Wu added that they wanted to use Lin Zexu's spirit to inspire the modern character, inspire children who left Ili to return to their hometown, and use what they have learned to develop their community.

The performance received a warm welcome. Cheng Gang, an audience member, said: "Through watching this performance, I more directly understood the achievements obtained in these years of aiding Xinjiang, like the people's sense of gain and happiness."