The dance drama 'Dazu of the World' premiered in Chongqing

Our correspondent (Wang Xinyue) recently, the dance drama "World Dazu" based on the Dazu Rock Carvings, a world cultural heritage, was performed three times in a row in Chongqing Grand Theater, marking the beginning of the national tour of the drama in 2025.

The story of "Dazu in the World" revolves around the young boy Xiaofu, who fled to Dazu to avoid war and was saved by craftsmen living under the cliffs. From then on, Xiaofu formed an inseparable bond with stone carvings, witnessing the hardships and difficulties of building cliff statues, and also feeling the craftsmen's persistence and love for art.

The dance drama is presented in 10 chapters. In the dance of excavating the scene, the actors use strong and vigorous dance movements to showcase the masculine power of Chongqing men. Through the hammers and chisels in their hands, it seems like they can see the bustling excavation site from thousands of years ago. In depicting scenes of fireworks and human life, dance is full of vitality, showcasing the customs and people's happy lives in the Sichuan Chongqing region during the Song Dynasty.

It is worth mentioning that many plot designs in the play are ingeniously integrated into the stories contained in Dazu Rock Carvings. For example, the unpredictable disasters of life stem from the true background of the "Ten Great Kings Statue" at No. 22, Dafu Bay, Baoding Mountain; The warmth of human fireworks is derived from the 15th stone carving of the "Parents' Grace and Respect Sutra disguised" in Dafu Bay. These details not only let the audience better understand the cultural connotation of Dazu Rock Carvings, but also let the millennium stone carvings "live" on the stage.

The dance drama 'Dazu of the World' has a high recognition of Chongqing. From the perspective of clothing styling, combined with the hot summer climate characteristics of Chongqing, the concepts of multi rope weaving, grass weaving, and bamboo weaving are integrated, which not only conforms to the clothing characteristics of the era, but also cleverly showcases the regional characteristics of Chongqing. In terms of stage design, there are two weathered cliff statues hanging high on both sides, with a huge mirror in the middle to expand the visual space and showcase the unique terrain and landforms of Chongqing. In terms of character development, the vivid and lively group of craftsmen and the rich and diverse group of women from Sichuan and Chongqing in the drama showcase the unique historical, cultural, and humanistic style of Chongqing. In the soundtrack, there are also elements of the Chongqing folk song 'Joyful Sun Coming Out'.

The first round of the dance drama "Dazu of the World" tour in 2025 will also visit multiple cities such as Nanning, Hefei, and Hangzhou, with more than 50 performances and an expected 100 performances throughout the year. This exquisite stage art with Chongqing characteristics will go to the whole country and let more people enjoy the unique charm of Dazu Rock Carvings, a world cultural heritage.