On February 24, Xun Meng Cang Hai, China’s first large-scale immersive musical play on the history of navigation, was premiered in the “Sea Theatre” of the Olympic Sailing Center in the Qingdao Olympic Sailing and Marine Culture Tourist Area.

“This is a unique and memorable immersive chance to experience marine culture. Consummate skills of performers enable us to know more about marine culture of Qingdao.” Mrs. Liu, a Qingdao citizen and her family still lingered over the performance.

As the demand for cultural tourism evolves and is upgraded, it becomes stylish to follow performance arts to have a tour. Xun Meng Cang Hai, produced by Qingdao Tourism Group and focused on marine culture of Qingdao and the history of Chinese navigation, features Bei, a prehistorical juvenile, Xu Fu, an adventurer and Qi Kunpeng, an occupational yachting racer, integrates musical drama with tourism performance and tells about a primitive tribe’s longing for the sea, the ambitious goal of exploring the sea and life ideals of the youth of today. The story featuring three dream chasers for the sea despite from different ages presents the glorious history of Chinese exploring and utilizing the sea.

With the aid of “science and technology” and “culture”, Xun Meng Cang Hai incorporates in an innovative manner “navigation” into sense of sight, atmosphere and performance watching. The “sea theatre” in the Olympic Sailing Center, an immersive holographic image theatre, provides a comprehensive marine view with 270 degrees immersive wrapped imaging and fosters a multi-dimensional, distinct and vivid sound field with panoramic stereo, where genuine experience of navigation is simulated by taking seats with autokinetic effects. The design of a small stage amid seats breaks away the conventional separation of audiences and performers to make audiences parts of the performance, thereby increasing audiences’ cultural inspiration and emotional resonance.

Xun Meng Cang Hai is performed regularly at 19: 30 every night. (Ma Xiaoting)

 The premier performance of Xun Meng Cang Hai.  By Wang Lei