Director set for Vietnam debut with nature-based shows

Princess Wencheng, one of Mei Shuaiyuan's open-air shows, is now a must-watch for visitors to Lhasa, Tibet autonomous region.[Photo provided to China Daily]

Director and producer Mei Shuaiyuan is known for shijing yanchu, or shows that use real scenery in open-air performances with hundreds of performers to display local culture and traditions.

In the past decade, he has staged 17 such shows across the country.

And now, he wants to take his shows to Vietnam.

At a recent media conference in Beijing, he said that five productions would be staged in scenic areas in Vietnam in the next three years.

The first one will be in Danang, the country's fifth largest city and one of its major ports.

The show, which will premiere in July 2017, is based on the story of Princess Huyen Tran, the daughter of Emperor Tran Nhan Tong of the Tran Dynasty that ruled Vietnam from 1225 to 1440.

The other four shows will be staged in Halong Bay, Hanoi, Hoi An and on Phu Quoc island - all popular tourist sites.