Live and in action

A cruise ship along the Yangtze River is presenting a rare immersive show. Li Jing reports.

The moment a dock door opens, the audience begins to time-travel to the 1920s.

With music coming from afar, a long trestle leads up to a giant steamship, along which rickshaws and stands of street food are seen. A boy, coming up to passers-by, hands over old-fashioned papers printed with stories and information about a performance titled Zhiyin Cruise.