Play about Song poet to be staged in Beijing

Traditional Chinese paintings in the play Sudi Chunxiao. [Photo provided to China Daily]

The National Theater of China will stage a performance of Sudi Chunxiao (Dawn on the Su Causeway in Spring) from April 5 to 14 in Beijing, telling the story of Su Dongpo, a Song Dynasty (960-1279) poet, whose work is still celebrated today.

The play is named after one of the 10 most famous scenic spots on Hangzhou's West Lake in Zhejiang province. The location is known for its beautiful natural spring scenes, when the causeway is flanked by blossoming peach trees and weeping willows.

A scene from Sudi Chunxiao. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Also known as Su Shi, Su Dongpo was born in Meishan in Sichuan province. At a young age, he performed brilliantly in the imperial examinations and began a long and distinguished career as an official in various governmental positions, where he experienced a series of political setbacks, including appointments to minor posts in distant locations. Despite these hardships, Su remained optimistic in his private and political life, an optimism that can also be seen in his poems, which reflect his own experiences.

He was twice appointed as an official in Hangzhou.

Veteran actor Xin Baiqing plays the lead role as Su Dongpo. [Photo provided to China Daily]

The play is directed by Tian Qinxin, the head of the National Theater of China, and stars veteran actor Xin Baiqing in the lead role. It highlights the traditional Chinese paintings of the Song Dynasty and also uses Su's poems to illustrate his spirit and lasting influence.

The production premiered in Hangzhou in November as part of the 18th China Theater Festival, and was warmly welcomed by the audience.

A scene from Sudi Chunxiao. [Photo provided to China Daily]