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Stage show celebrates China’s ancient sea trade

Updated: Apr 24,2015 11:09 AM     cntv.cn

A dance drama about China’s ancient marine silk road graced the stage of the UNESCO headquarters in Paris on April 21. It was presented by the Song and Dance Ensemble of Fujian province — which was once home to many of China’s biggest sea ports, and a hub of global shipping.

“The Dream of the Maritime Silk Road” is set during the Song Dynasty (AD 960-1279), around a thousand years ago — a time of expanding trade between China and the rest of Asia, and the world.

Quanzhou, in present-day Fujian province, was then one of the world’s largest ports, and the start of the old maritime silk road. Ships carrying silk, porcelain and tea regularly set sail for distant ports around the world.

The Maritime Silk Road played a crucial role in linking East and West in ancient times.

The show’s plot centers on two generations of sailors, all chasing the dream of sailing to the west.