Saw an awesome performance in Yangshuo over the weekend. Zhang Yimou, director of “Raise The Red Lantern”, “Hero”, and other notable Chinese films, has assembled a light show that’s set in the karst mountains around Yangshuo.

I’ve never seen anything like it before. It depicts the story of Liu Sanjie, a folk tale that’s been partially co-opted by the Chinese government as a proto-revolutionary tale. To achieve it, Zhang assembles a cast of 600 locals who in five acts depict a series of moods and impressions deriving from her story.

It’s definitely got a patriotic aspect. More prominent, however, is the feeling of deep cultural pride that’s being encouraged by the performance. The local farmers and fishermen march by in the finale with banners naming their individual villages, which was pretty overwhelming.

Details here: China Daily Article