Chongqing -  On January 10 and 11, the Chongqing Grand Theatre takes center stage as it hosts the grand finale of the China tour of Turandot, the final masterpiece by Giacomo Puccini. Presented as part of the global Puccini Centenary celebrations, the production stands as a sweeping tribute to the composer’s legacy, fusing the soul of Italian opera with its ancestral Chinese setting.

Under the baton of chief conductor Stefano Vignati, the performance brings an elite international cast to the mountain city, led by tenor Misha Sheshaberidze and mezzo-soprano Anastasia Boldyreva. The production’s visual grandeur is shaped by legendary designers Ezio Frigerio and Franca Squarciapino, whose work has graced the stages of La Scala and the Metropolitan Opera.

Yet the buzz surrounding the Chongqing stop extends beyond musical virtuosity to a deeper resonance of cultural temperament. In an interview, Boldyreva—who portrays the “Ice Princess” Turandot—offered a provocative re-reading of the role.

“The idea that Turandot is simply a cold, aloof woman is a stereotype,” she noted, arguing that the princess’s icy exterior is a shield forged by childhood trauma, protecting a heart that quietly longs for authentic passion. Boldyreva also drew an intriguing parallel between the opera’s heroine and the women of Italy and Chongqing. “It is a great question—whether Italians and Chongqing people share a common soft spot for women with a bit of a temper,” she reflected. “Such strong, aloof women possess a unique charm. They certainly exist in Italy; in fact, you will find plenty of them.”

This “Ice Princess,” defined by fierce independence and hidden tenderness, finds a natural echo in Chongqing—a city renowned for its own fiery yet warm-hearted women. As the familiar strains of Mo Li Hua (Jasmine Flower) thread through Puccini’s score, the performance forms a striking musical bridge, affirming that the longing for genuine emotional connection speaks a universal language.

As the curtain falls on the China tour, Turandot departs Chongqing not merely as a tragic legend, but as a reimagined emblem of power, trauma, and the enduring possibility of love.