“Dream in Peony Pavilion”, a dance drama co-produced by Suzhou Cultural Investment and Development Group, He Theatre, and Beijing Poly Theatre Management Co Ltd, premiered at the Grand Theatre of Suzhou Culture and Arts Centre in SIP on the evening of Apr 30, becoming a sparkling highlight of the local offerings to tourists during the May Day holiday.

    Adapted from the 55-scene legendary play “The Peony Pavilion” by Ming Dynasty playwright Tang Xianzu, the dance drama is divided into two parts: The Dream, and The Painting. It tells the love story between the central characters Du Liniang and Liu Mengmei following the storyline that features fatally entangled dreams, facts, images, and reality.

    It is reported that the creation of the dance drama began in September 2023, and after 20 months of meticulous refinement, it garnered widespread attention on and off line following its official announcement in March this year, with tickets for all of four performances in Suzhou sold out within an hour after release. Data shows that nearly 80% of the audiences are aged 18 to 35.

    As scheduled, the dance drama will be later staged in Guangzhou in Guangdong province, Nanjing in Jiangsu province, Hangzhou in Zhejiang province, and Xi’an in Shaanxi province, and a larger-scale tour is set to launch at the end of this year.

May 1, 2025