American scholar Emily Wilcox talks with local cultural experts at the Liang-Zhu Cultural Park in Ningbo. [Photo/Yongpai App]

American scholar Emily Wilcox, also known by her Chinese name Wei Meiling, arrived in Ningbo on Oct 12 and made Liang-Zhu Cultural Park her first stop, a fitting choice for someone who has spent years following Chinese dance dramas and exploring the culture behind them.

A professor at William & Mary, Wilcox has long been fascinated by Chinese dance, having once watched Ningbo dance drama Mulan three times in different cities. In June this year, she traveled to Hangzhou to see the premiere of Loutaihui, a dance drama created in Ningbo inspired by the legendary love story of Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai.

At Liang-Zhu Cultural Park, Wilcox explored the story's rich heritage with local cultural experts and learned how it has evolved through opera, folk songs, manuscripts, films, and dance across China and beyond. She was particularly intrigued by the many versions found in countries including Japan, South Korea, and Indonesia.

A tree planted by Yueju Opera master Fan Ruijuan also brought back memories, as Fan played Liang Shanbo in the classic 1954 film The Butterfly Lovers, which Wilcox previously introduced in her Chinese cinema course.

Standing before the garden's pavilion, Wilcox recalled Loutaihui, which reimagines the lovers' final night together before Zhu's wedding. She said the setting offered space for imagination, bringing the characters' spirits vividly to life.

For Wilcox, the visit connected performances she had studied with the cultural landscape that inspired them, offering a deeper understanding of the story and the city behind it.