Under the tutelage of a noted Hong Kong film director, a Kunqu opera of an ancient Chinese lesbian story will be staged next month in the capital.

The opera, Lianxiangban - or Cherishing the Fragrant Companion - will be performed during the 10th Beijing International Art Week, which falls on April 30 to May 28.

The opera was written by Li Yu (1610-1680), a playwright and poet of Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).

In the story, Cui Jianyun, a young married woman, meets an intelligent single young woman, Cao Yuhua, while visiting a temple. The pair fall in love and Cui pledges to make her husband take Cao as a concubine so that they can remain together.

Under the guidance of Hong Kong film director Stanley Kwan, the opera is now in rehearsals at the Northern Kunqu Opera Theater in Beijing. The actors were selected from the theater, which was founded in 1957.

Kwan has garnered praise for his sensitive exploration of touching love stories with homosexual themes on the big screen. His works include Lan Yu, a controversial homosexual film that is banned on the Chinese mainland. Shortly after the release of that film Kwan announced that he was homosexual.

In Lianxiangban, Kwan adapts the ancient romance into two parts, one following the original play and the other about two lesbian lovers.

Sociologist and sexologist Li Yihe was invited to join the crew as a culture consultant while renowned Kunqu master Wang Shiyu is the show's artistic director.

Kunqu opera emerged 600 years ago and is regarded as the "mother" of at least 100 Chinese operas, including Peking Opera. UNESCO listed it as one of the Masterpieces of Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity in 2001.

The opera will be staged in the Poly Theater from May 11 to 14 during the 10th Beijing International Art Week. More than 2,000 artists from 30 art groups from 16 countries and regions have been invited to participate in the festival.