Feature: Tianqiao revives tradition, builds global stage for performing arts

BEIJING, July 30 (Xinhua) -- Stretching along the southern section of Beijing's Central Axis, a 2.07-square-kilometer cultural cluster is coming alive with young playwrights drafting scripts in hutong studios, acrobatic troupes staging intangible cultural heritage performances, and a major arts center hosting its annual musical theater festival.

This is the Tianqiao performing arts area, where traditional culture meets modern creativity, and where theaters, playhouses and creative incubators converge.

"Two decades ago, Tianqiao was marked by dilapidated buildings and scattered street stalls," Yin Yixin, chairman of the Tianqiao Zenith Group, told Xinhua. "Yet during the late Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) and the years before the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, this area was a bustling place where thousands of folk artists came to perform drama, traditional music and acrobatics."

To revive that legacy, an extensive renewal project was launched. The Tianqiao Performing Arts Center opened in 2015, presenting year-round programs of dramas, musicals, concerts and ballets. In the years that followed, more theaters, creative incubators and hutong-based studios emerged across the area.

That transformation has laid the foundation for Tianqiao's revival as a thriving hub for performing arts.

"Come to Tianqiao for musicals" is more than a slogan -- it has become part of daily life here. Today, Tianqiao hosts international musicals such as "The Phantom of the Opera" and "Notre-Dame de Paris," alongside original Chinese productions including "The Orphan of Zhao" and "Twelve Hours of Chang'an," earning acclaim from audiences at home and abroad.

"It's amazing! The stage sets are unique, and the cast delivers powerful performances," said Ma Yihan, a young Chinese theater lover who has attended multiple shows here, including "Elisabeth" and "Mozart L'Opéra Rock."

John Owen-Jones, a leading star of "The Phantom of the Opera," said China's growing audience for Western musicals could help spur a new wave of homegrown productions, with an increasing number of polished original Chinese musicals already emerging.

Besides, acrobatic troupes regularly perform at wansheng theater in Tianqiao, while immersive productions centered on China's intangible cultural heritage attract crowds of visitors. Venues such as the Tianqiao Impression Museum use AR and motion-sensing technologies to revive fading folk arts, while its archive of 20,000 volumes of folk literature is open to the public free of charge.

Yang Shucong, general manager of the Tianqiao Performing Arts Center, said the venue will stage a lineup of iconic international musicals this year. The English-language program includes "Chicago" and "Kinky Boots," while French offerings include "Don Juan" and "Cyrano de Bergerac."

Chinese-language adaptations are also gaining popularity. Standout productions include "The Devotion of Suspect X," "Murder Ballad" and "The Count of Monte Cristo."

These productions mark a pivotal step in the Tianqiao Performing Arts Center's evolution, from a venue operator into a content co-creator, Yang said.

"Going forward, we'll continue to carry forward China's cultural heritage, foster new forms of cultural activities, and build the Tianqiao Performing Arts Area into a global stage where cultural exchange and performing arts thrive," Yin said. ■