Nature is the stage

A daytime visit to the Huaqing Palace in Xi'an, Shaanxi province, is remarkably different from coming here by night, when it turns into a natural stage with Mount Lishan as the backdrop.

The Song of Everlasting Sorrow, an epic poem by Bai Juyi on the romance between Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907) and his concubine Yang Yuhuan, is performed as a dance drama at night from April to October. As hundreds of dancers gather around a pool, numerous lights twinkle in the mountain, making the show a spectacle.

It has been viewed by more than 3.1 million people in the past eight years since it started, according to its producer, Zhang Xiaoke.