Back in the spotlight
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In 1996, the TV series The Burning E Pang Palace, which Liu produced and also performed in was filmed at the site. It was this TV series that gave Lei the idea to invite Liu to do something there. Tourism shows have emerged as the latest money spinner in recent years, and Lei hoped he could convince Liu to consider a joint show.
"People thought I was crying for the moon. But I decided to give it a try," Lei tells China Daily.
After repeated invitations, Liu visited the site and was attracted to not just the show. The shrewd businesswoman, who made her money in real estate in 1990s, also saw a good investment opportunity.
"It has been proven that a high-quality tourism show can bring in good money. The E Pang Palace site can shore up real estate prices in the surrounding area," she says.
With the investment of 120 million yuan, a 5,000 square meter open-air stage was built in front of the grand palace. Between the stage and the 2,568-seat auditorium runs the historic 10 m wide Yanzhi River, providing an ideal setting for a water show.
Directed by Zhao Ji and some 20 other choreographers, the 70-minute show is not a mere recounting of the history of the Qin Dynasty, but highlights both the wars and peaks of the Qin, Han (206 BC-AD 220) and Tang (AD 618-907) dynasties.
Liu will perform with 600 other dancers. In the solo scenes, she will reprise some of her well-known film roles such as that of Cixi, the Empress Dowager of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), in The Burning of the Imperial Palace (Huoshao Yuanmingyuan, 1983) and Reign Behind the Curtain (Chuilian Tingzheng, 1984).
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