Zhang Yimou's "distinctive" version of Turandot hits Taiwan city

About 30,000 opera lovers in the Taiwan city of Taichung went to see a version of Turandot on Saturday and Sunday nights, which its renowned director Zhang Yimou said "has a special effect when staged by Chinese people."

Performed at Taichung International Baseball Stadium, Sunday's show started at 7:15 p.m., with 150 singing and dancing performers marching out from both sides of a 20-meter-high LED screen, which transformed the stage into an imperial palace.

Throughout the show, the synthesis of music and light helped relay the show's narrative, beautifully dramatizing the emotions of the characters.

The production, by the same team behind the spectacular opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics, involved 400 mainland performers as well as locals, including 300 students and teachers from the "National Taiwan Sports University" and 20 children.

Playing a little monk in the opera, 13-year-old Yang, one of the 20 local children performers, said,"Performing on the big stage makes me feel proud."

Director Zhang said the combination of the performers from both sides of the Taiwan Strait brought a diversity to the production that resulted in a very special performance.