Story set in rural Shaanxi ready to hit Beijing's stages soon

Chen Zhongshi's novel Bai Lu Yuan (White Deer Plain) was published in 1993, and it has been in the spotlight since. As the winner of China's top literary honor, the Mao Dun Literature Prize, the novel has been hailed by critics as a must-read for those who seek a deeper understanding of the country.

Among the book's adaptations, a film of the same title, directed by Wang Quan'an, won the Silver Bear for best cinematography at the Berlin Film Festival in 2012. The most recent rendition of the novel is a stage play, called White Deer Plain, by Shaanxi People's Art Theater that will come to Beijing soon.

Two venues in the city will host the play over March 11-13 and then March 18-20.