Wang Binmei, lead actress in Yueju Opera Lyu Shui Qing Shan, puts on makeup before her performance. [Photo/bjnews.com.cn]

The modern Yueju Opera Lyu Shui Qing Shan, or Lucid Waters and Lush Mountains, premiered at the National Theatre of China in Beijing on April 8 – the first call in the play's national tour.

The work was co-produced by the publicity department of Lishui city in East China's Zhejiang province and the Zhejiang Xiaobaihua Yueju Opera Theater – and was performed by the Zhejiang Yueju Opera Troupe.

It tells the story of how a family participates in restoring the ecosystem and environment and helps create green development in Lishui.

The play evocatively incorporates Lishui's landscapes into the stage design. [Photo/bjnews.com.cn]

The play incorporates various local elements of Lishui – such as its rivers, terraces, homestays, food and agricultural products – into the stage design, costumes and props. In that way, it artfully creates a vivid picture of the city's natural beauty and cultural charms.

The opera consists of six acts and lasts 140 minutes. It uses music, art and lighting to present a contemporary expression of Yueju Opera, a traditional Chinese art form that originated in Zhejiang.

The opera is part of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism's project to support the creation of realistic-themed art. It reflects the people's aspirations for a better life and is said to resonate with China's vision of building a beautiful country with harmonious coexistence between humans and nature.