Chongqing — The acclaimed dance drama Du Fu, winner of the Dance Drama Award at China's prestigious "Lotus Awards," launched its 10th anniversary national tour on Monday in Chongqing, with its opening performance at a major local arts center.
Produced by the Chongqing Song and Dance Ensemble, the production has enjoyed sustained national acclaim since its 2016 premiere. Over the past decade, it has toured more than 80 cities across China, staged over 240 performances, and attracted audiences exceeding 300,000.
A scene from the "Lotus Awards"-winning dance drama Du Fu. (Photo/Xiang Tao and Xia Juan)
The drama artfully portrays the tumultuous life of the "Poet Sage" Du Fu (712–770), tracing his journey from officialdom to renunciation. Running approximately 110 minutes, it follows his early aspirations, his time in government service, and his later years marked by hardship and displacement.
Through expressive choreography and layered stage design, the work presents Du Fu as a poet who saw his own fate as intertwined with that of the nation and who shouldered a deep concern for the people. By integrating the aesthetic spirit of Tang poetry with contemporary dance language, it offers audiences both visual refinement and a reflection on moral integrity and cultural legacy.
Since its debut, Du Fu has garnered multiple national honors. In addition to the "Lotus Awards" win, it was nominated for a Production at the 16th Wenhua Awards and won the Director Award at the 18th Wenhua Awards.
The production was selected for a national stage art masterpiece creation project celebrating the centenary of the founding of the Communist Party of China and featured in the 12th National Dance Exhibition. It has received funding support from the National Arts Fund on four occasions.
Performers take a curtain call after the "Lotus Awards"-winning dance drama Du Fu. (Photo/Xiang Tao and Xi Juan)
With a stage and lighting design that were shortlisted for World Stage Design 2017 (WSD 2017), the production was also recognized as an Outstanding Project in the overseas touring program for performing arts institutions organized by the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee.
Among its widely known excerpts is Liren Xing, inspired by Du Fu's poem depicting scenes in the Tang Dynasty capital of Chang'an, present-day Xi’an. The dance segment has appeared multiple times on China Central Television and has generated significant online viewership. With restrained yet fluid choreography and intricately designed costumes, the scene transforms classical poetic imagery into a dynamic stage tableau.
Other segments draw inspiration from poems, including The Ballad of the Army Carts and works commonly known as The Three Officials and Three Farewells, reflecting the turmoil of war and social upheaval that shaped the poet’s life and writing.
Following its performances in Wanzhou, the production will be staged on February 28 and March 1 at the Shi Guangnan Grand Theatre in Chongqing. The performances will serve as the concluding presentation of Chongqing's selected productions for the 14th China Arts Festival.
Ten years after its premiere, Du Fu continues to resonate with audiences as a contemporary stage interpretation of one of China’s most revered literary figures, bringing the enduring spirit of the "Poet Sage" to modern theater.