Chongqing - As Chongqing rapidly rises on the global tourism map, known for its skyscrapers, spicy cuisine, and dizzying topography, a new generation of theater makers is asking a deeper question: What does it really mean to be from Chongqing?

A recent experimental production titled 500 offers a bold response — not with answers, but with an open-ended theatrical game inviting participants to co-construct the definition of "Chongqingnese."

Unlike traditional performances, 500 breaks down the boundaries between actor and audience. It takes place in a one-on-one setting, blending immersive theater and interactive game design. Participants enter a simulated "identity testing center," where they play through real-life-inspired scenes, make symbolic choices, and witness how individual decisions shape the collective definition of identity in real time.

"The idea is to invite public discussion - but not through debate or dialogue alone," said the director, Eelly. "We want people to reflect on identity by doing - by participating, interacting, and making choices. That process itself is the discussion."

The structure of the performance, Eelly explained, is based on dimensions of identity drawn from early-stage surveys, interviews, workshops, and textual research. "We took those abstract dimensions and transformed them into embodied game mechanics,” she said. “The scenes in the performance are not fictional inventions - they come directly from the personal writings of our four creators and the stories we collected during the research phase."

Props from 500, designed to embody identity through action. (Photo: Eelly)

The creators of 500 describe it not as a drama, but as a public experiment — one that transforms the theatre into a space for civic reflection. The project was born out of growing tensions in how Chongqing is represented: as the city becomes a viral sensation on social media, some locals worry that its cultural identity is being flattened into a marketable image.

Amid growing outside attention on Chongqing, 500 creates space for a more nuanced conversation about identity. Rather than treating identity as something fixed or inherited, the production approaches it as something that is continuously negotiated, shaped by context, memory, and collective perception. The title 500 refers to the number that begins Chongqing residents' national ID cards — a subtle but powerful symbol of bureaucratic belonging. In the performance, participants are invited to explore their own sense of "Chongqing-ness" through a series of embodied, symbolic actions — not to arrive at a definitive score, but to reflect on questions of space, time, history, and shared identity.

What makes this production notable is not only its conceptual innovation but also its deep engagement with civic identity. The show reimagines theater as a space where local people can examine the narratives they live within - and invite others to do the same.

At a time when cities across the world are grappling with tourism, migration, and cultural redefinition, 500 resonates far beyond its regional setting. It offers a glimpse into how young Chinese artists are using performance as a form of social inquiry - and how a question like "Who we are?" can still be asked, playfully and powerfully, on stage.