Monkey King in Macao

The Monkey King is set to be a pioneer production in the show business of Macao.  [Photo provided to China Daily]

"Making the show is actually an adjustment of Macao's industrial structure. I hope more such performances will be made here," he says, adding that in future, Macao could have a booming cultural industry because tourists are likely to watch local shows.

According to the Macao Government Tourism Office, the special administrative region saw tourist arrivals touch a record 30.95 million last year, increasing by 0.8 percent from 2015. About 28 million people from the mainland, Hong Kong and Taiwan visited Macao in 2016.

As a subsidiary of Las Vegas Sands Corp, Sands China Ltd's hotels offer the Monkey King Macao hotel package, allowing tourists to enjoy the show at a discounted rate during their hotel stay.

Journey to the West, Water Margin, Romance of the Three Kingdoms, and A Dream of the Red Mansions are known as the four great classic novels in Chinese literature.

Hua Yan is keen to stage similar shows adapted from the other three classics in the future. A show based on A Dream of the Red Mansions has been planned for Macao.

"We shoulder the responsibility to present traditional Chinese culture to the world on an international stage. I'm confident that our shows will be the new draw for global travelers to Macao in the future," Xu says.

Contact the writer at xulin@chinadaily.com.cn