Da Hong Pao (photo: sina.com)

The visual arts on a massive scale. The kind of which can only be seen in China. Each production an undertaking of seemingly inhuman proportions telling tales that are both epic and fundamentally simple. Acclaimed Chinese film director, Zhang Yimou, this week presented the fifth in a series of massive scale musical productions he has become renowned for. His most recent production titled Impression: Da Hong Pao is perfomed in southeastern China, in the Wuyi mountains, a dramatic natural backdrop. This region might be known to tea drinkers as the home of a special oolong tea; the legendary Da Hong Pao which is among the finest and rarest of teas. Yimou's latest production "incarnates local folk tales, tea culture, and town life."

Yimou is most known to westerners as the genius behind the dramatic opening and closing ceremonies for the 2008 Olympic Games

Da Hong Pao (photo: sina.com)

in Beijing, and the brilliantly colorful martial arts films House of Flying Daggers and Hero. He has since moved forward with his theatrical talent, and continues to present shows and tell tales to thousands of people.

The five productions of his Impressions series are: Liu Sanjie, Lijiang, West Lake, Hainan, and as of this week; Da Hong Pao. A sixth one, Impression, Putuo is currently in production. Yimou makes impressive and dramatic use of natural landscapes to support his already impressive shows. They combine gigantic storylines with simple and fundamental human themes.

Impression, Da Hong Pao
Impression Da Hong Pao, the fifth and most recent, implements the world's first 360-degree rotating auditorium and uses 15 different projection screens. As the show progresses, backdrop changes are created by rotating the audience to provide them with a different view of the scenery. One of Yimou's co-directors, says, "We put multimedia techniques in nature and make people think about the relation of humans and nature. It's a revolutionary performance."

Hainan (photo: sina.com)

Impression, Hainan

Hainan (photo: sina.com)

Hainan Island is a tropical island located off the southern end of China in the South Sea. This show is staged on the seashore with the sea and the surrounding scenery as another natural backdrop. The show features vivid displays of color, and bikini-clad women singing and dancing at the seaside.

Promotional trailer for West Lake

Lijiang

Impression, West Lake China's West Lake is perhaps the most accessible venue of the five productions. West Lake is an ancient freshwater lake in Hangzhou and located less than 2 hours outside of Shanghai. The West Lake production is performed entirely on the lake itself. The stage was contructed 3 centimeters below the surface of the water, giving the cast a "walking on water" appearance.

Impression, Lijiang

---

All cafés have art on the walls, but these features give you more than just art. Like what you see, or have something to share? Register or login to leave a comment below.