Mongolian culture-highlighted drama a hit in US

Adventures of Marco Polo will be performed at the Expo Milano 2015 in  September, to present Chinese Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) culture through Macro Polo's interactions with local people.

Marco Polo was the first European to bring back a detailed chronicle of experiences in China about 800 years ago. The Travels of Marco Polo has introduced Europeans to China.

A scene of Adventures of Marco Polo [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

In 2013, Adventures of Marco Polo, a drama inspired by the Italian explorer's journey during the Yuan Dynasty was made by the Performing Arts Group of Hohhot, Inner Mongolia.

The drama, spiced with traditional Mongolian music and dance, was staged in Branson, Missouri in August 2013, thanks to promotions by China Heaven Creation International Performing Arts Co.

A scene of Adventures of Marco Polo [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

"As we arrived in Branson, the posters of Adventures of Marco Polo could be seen everywhere in the city," said Liu Yi, a deputy head of the show.

Adventures of Macro Polo had its US premiere on August 9, 2013, which was a success. The actors of the drama were hailed as "artists from China's Inner Mongolia" in local reports. "We feel so happy to hear the title," said an actor in the drama.

Actors of Adventures of Marco Polo [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

This show has hit a record for Chinese music and dance shows performed abroad. It has been staged more than 420 times in the US since its premiere, with over 130,000 spectator and around 10 million yuan ($640,000) ticket sales.

Debbie is a resident of Branson. She and her family has paid to watch the show dozens of times. She can even notice tiny adjustments in each scene.

Debbie and her husband pose for a photo with an actor of Adventures of Marco Polo. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

"Mongolian dance is a unique feature of the drama, and the combination of acrobatics and magic is the secret of its success," said Bai Jie, general manager of the Performing Arts Group of Hohhot.

The drama can help the audience learn about East-West exchanges, added Cao Xiaoning, the drama's director.