Cirque du Soleil debut its Asia permanent show in Hangzhou

Previously, if Chinese audiences want to watch a show of Cirque du Soleil, they had to fly to the U.S or Mexico. But since this August, they can enjoy the amazing performance in the east China city of Hangzhou.

Cirque du Soleil launched its permanent performance for the next 10 years and its epic show "X: The Land of Fantasy" also made its Asia premiere in Hangzhou.

A still of the Cirque du Soleil. /VCG Photo

The Canadian Circus

Cirque du Soleil, also known as "Circus of the Sun," is a Montreal-based circus and the largest theatrical producer in the world. It was founded in 1984 by two former street performers.

Before "X: The Land of Fantasy," only three cities around the world had permanent shows of Cirque du Soleil: Las Vegas, Orlando, and Cancun. This show is an immersive performance that allows audiences to enjoy the thrilling performance, wonderful stage design and the imagined world that combines all elements.

A still of the Cirque du Soleil's performence in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province. /VCG Photo

Oriental elements

The "X: The Land of Fantasy" show in Hangzhou inevitably has oriental and Chinese elements. Many figures of the performance show a combination of eastern and western culture, with some characters reminding viewers of Chinese stories, while at the same time features western traditional mythology.

Karen Yiu, makeup designer, explained that she used the phoenix and the gold color to represent the oriental side and dragons and red to represent the west. Choreographer Phenix Lin said, she adds Chinese traditional dance, martial arts and even some Peking Opera styles in the dancing part. And also blend western dance cultures in it.

Chinese audiences are enjoying the show of the Cirque du Soleil in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province. /VCG Photo

It took 50 artists from all over the world half a year to produce and create this 75 minutes show.

The Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group is banking on its China expansion to boost ticket sales.

According to the Paper's report, Hugo Belanger, the art director said in the interview, "I did research about Chinese culture and I was trying to add more details into the show. Storytelling is important to Chinese audiences and that’s where we started."

Hangzhou is a rising Chinese city that's been attracting an increasing number of visitors globally, especially after the 2016 G20 Hangzhou summit. And now, Cirque du Soleil permanent show is likely to draw more attention.

(Cover image via VCG)