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Inspired by A Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains, the Northern Song Dynasty’s monumental landscape scroll and unparalleled treasure of the Palace Museum, the piece has been rarely exhibited and never permitted abroad. Finally, this dynamic production brings a national masterpiece to life. Rendered in vivid blue-green mineral pigments and created by the prodigious 18-year-old artist, Wang Ximeng, the original scroll remains an emblem of classical Chinese aesthetics and artistic transcendence.
Through a lyrical, time-traversing narrative, the drama follows a modern cultural historian who journeys back nine centuries to meet the young artist. Together, they illuminate the creative odyssey behind the painting. Structured in seven poetic chapters—Unfolding the Scroll, Inquiring into Seals, Chanting Silk, Seeking Stones, Practicing Brushwork, Preparing Ink, and Merging with the Painting—the performance becomes a profound meditation on the devotion, ingenuity, and artistic legacy of ancient creators. It is, above all, a reverent homage to the universal spirit of craftsmanship, artistry and cultural continuity.
