The ancient Buddhist caves of Dunhuang in northwest China are famous for the spectacular frescoes and carvings. And almost every cave of the Mo-gao Grottoes includes Fei Tian, or Flying Apsaras, which are goddesses of cloud and water. A team of artists have been INSPIRED by the mythical images and are trying to bring them to the stage. They are musical producer Li Dun, composer San Bao, playwright Guan Shan and fashion designer Guo Pei. Let's see what they have discovered on their trip to Dunhuang.

Dunhuang is located in northwest China's Gansu Province. Once an important stop on the ancient Silk Road, it is also famous for its Mo-Gao Grottoes, a collection of nearly 500 caves on cliffs showing Buddhist carvings and frescos. And they were completed between the 4th to 14th centuries. The caves have been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list.

This is Li Dun's second visit to Dunhuang. He was deeply impressed by the place last year on his first tour, and that was when he decided to produce a musical with that theme.

LI DUN, PRODUCER MUSICAL "FLYING APSARAS" "I couldn't hold back my tears when I first saw the frescos. I stayed in the caves for over 4 hours. I dreamed of ancient Egypt, Babylon, India and China. Dunhuang art was the sum of all the four ancient civilizations, and the sum is love. And love is what I want to deliver through the musical."

Li prepared for a year and returned with the production team.

SAN BAO, COMPOSER MUSICAL 'FLYING APSARAS' "I'm sure I will use a fusion of different music styles, with elements from inland and the western region and from Western countries as well."

Li Dun is a very popular musical producer in China, with 'Love U, Teresa', 'Mama, Love Me Once Again!' and 'Ah! Kuliang' under his name. This is the second cooperation between Li Dun, San Bao and play-writer Guan Shan. In 2007, they created the musical 'Butterfly', which clinched the 13th Wenhua Awards' special honor.

Guan Shan drove 2,000 kilometers to Dunhuang to visit local experts and collect historical documents.

GUAN SHAN, PLAYWRITER MUSICAL 'FLYING APSARAS' "I have admired the murals time after time and I have read Buddhist texts repeatedly. I try to dig out anything that can be useful."

As one of the earliest haute couture fashion designers in China, Guo Pei has been tailoring for CCTV Spring Festival Gala hosts and performers for years. She has won wide acclaim in international high fashion in for her understanding of traditional Chinese aesthetics and her pursuit of textiles and tailoring. But she finds her current task daunting.

GUO PEI, FASHION DESIGNER MUSICAL 'FLYING APSARAS' "Dunhuang frescos are too beautiful to be duplicated. No one can reproduce the original perfection. I know many designers have been taking Dunhuang art as inspiration but no one has produced anything remarkable."

Guo Pei is discussing the details with Li Dun. GUO PEI, FASHION DESIGNER MUSICAL 'FLYING APSARAS' "For a long time, my counterparts have been focusing on patterns. But in my opinion, the key is the material. I will not restore the colors on the murals, it is not smart. I'm thinking about recreating the feeling with different materials."

Guan Shan, San Bao and Li Dun are debating how to simplify the script. They reach an agreement after two hours of discussion.

GUAN SHAN, PLAYWRITER MUSICAL 'FLYING APSARAS' "Now we have a new plan and our direction is more certain. This is art creation. It takes a lot of pulling apart and rebuilding. We are one step closer to success."

LI DUN, PRODUCER MUSICAL 'FLYING APSARAS' "I see the sparkle in every artist's eyes. They enter story full of respect and I'm very confident about the production. We will definitely present the most glorious moments of Dunhuang."

Li Dun says he plans to bring the musical of peace and love to the world. And that is the mission of Chinese artists. YR, CGTN.