CHINESE PERFORMING ARTS HONG KONG SEASON: DANCE DRAMA QIUCI (KUCHA)

About the show

Situated at a strategic crossroads of the Northern Route of the ancient Silk Road, Qiuci (Kucha) was a major meeting ground of civilizations and one of the most significant cultural hubs in Eurasian history. Within the vast constellation of Chinese civilization, Qiuci shines like a radiant pearl that has traversed more than a millennium. Through its rich and pluralistic cultural synthesis, it radiates a distinctive allure and an enduring brilliance. Qiuci culture bears the imprints and lifeblood of diverse peoples across time. From donor figures in Hu-style dress depicted in Buddhist cave murals, to the multi-ethnic rhythms of Su Muzhe, the principle of “you within me, and me within you” is vividly embodied. Qiuci thus stands as a living testament to the historical and cultural formation of Xinjiang, and a compelling illustration of the pluralistic unity of Chinese civilization. The dance drama Qiuci emerges from these historical traces. Through the cross-temporal interweaving of Kumārajīva’s eastward journey and Xuanzang’s westward pilgrimage, the production brings to the stage the dynamic processes of cultural convergence, transformation, and artistic exchange that define Qiuci’s heritage. The dance drama Qiuci brings together a wide range of creative forces. Tong Ruirui serves as Chief Choreographer, with cultural historian and literary scholar Han Ziyong as playwright. The core creative team includes producer Li Dong; composer Guo Sida; executive choreographers He Tao and Wang Peng; set designer Qin Liyun; costume designer Yang Donglin; visual director Wang Han; choreographers Li Hongjun, Wei Wei, Gulijianati Shatar, and Fu Yangxue; multimedia designer Hu Tianji; lighting designer Liu Zhao; styling designer Xu Bin; and prop designer Lei Peng, alongside many other distinguished Chinese artists. The production is performed by an ensemble of young dancers from the Xinjiang Art Theatre Song and Dance Company and Xinjiang Normal University, joined by outstanding youn