In the production, the audiences can hear solo performances of authentic folk songs, antiphonal harmonies among the scholarly characters and the folk song singers, as well as a grand group song that incorporates different vocal genres.

The Beijing premiere fell on the third day of the third lunar month on the lunar calendar — a day when people of the Zhuang ethnic group offer sacrifices to their ancestors and when young people socialize through antiphonal singing.

Before the premiere began, performers sang representative folk songs and performed ethnic dances onstage to give audiences a sense of Guangxi's folk music.

"An artistic portrayal of Liu's adherence to the concepts of serving the people and his unwavering integrity undoubtedly delivers positive social implications," Chang says.

"Audiences of all backgrounds can find enlightenment from this sage from more than a thousand years ago."

Contact the writer at chengyuezhu@chinadaily.com.cn