TV drama now a peking opera

Guo Baochang (right) co-directs the Peking Opera The Grand Mansion Gate with Li Zhuoqun.[Photo provided to China Daily]

"Guo said he wanted to do a show about the family but different from the TV version. So, we discussed the story over and over again. He wanted me to be original and creative," says Li.

In the TV drama, the focus is on Bai Jingqi, who is a rebellious and ambitious young man. He carries the hopes of his family, which runs a traditional Chinese medicine store in Beijing.

The original story comprises four chapters, which are named after the four seasons, but the Peking Opera version opens with Yang Jiuhong, the prostitute who Bai falls in love with.

Despite his family's objections, he marries Yang and brings her into the family, where she faces rejection.

Speaking about her role, Peking Opera actress Dou Xiaoxuan, who plays Yang, says: "It is a big challenge because most of the roles I have played before are women of high social status. The role of Yang is tragic and requires lots of emotion."