Immersive production brings Tang princess to stage

An immersive stage production about a Tang Dynasty (618-907) princess, Honghua, has made its debut in Yinchuan, Northwest China's Ningxia Hui autonomous region.

Titled Honghua Princess, the production is being staged from Sept 25 to Oct 7.

The production tells the story of Honghua, regarded as the first Tang Dynasty princess to marry into a frontier kingdom. She was sent to Tuyuhun and later spent 26 years in Lingzhou, now part of Ningxia.

The production draws on research by 94-year-old historian Bai Shuli of Ningxia University, whose recently published biography, Honghua Princess, provides the show's academic foundation.

Directed by Gao Liang, Wang Guoqiang and Liu Xiaozhou, the production took more than eight months to develop, bringing together artists from Beijing and Yinchuan.

The theater is designed around two contrasting spaces — a Tang Dynasty city and a Tuyuhun royal tent — connected by a long central stage that symbolizes Honghua Princess' journey. A 60-meter-long lift stage, aerial performances, projection, fireworks and traditional folk dances combine to create an immersive theatrical experience.

Told through the memories of an elderly Honghua, the play moves freely across nearly six decades of history.

The production is part of a 60-million-yuan immersive entertainment project, featuring six theaters, 36 stages and interactive performances by 168 actors. By blending historical storytelling with tourism and immersive entertainment, the project aims to bring the history of Lingzhou, the Silk Road and cultural exchange on the frontier closer to contemporary audiences.