Shaanxi Tourism: Watching the Red Musical Drama "Yan'an Nursery" (Photos)

As a new calling card of red tourism in Yan'an, Shaanxi, the large-scale original musical drama "Yan'an Nursery", meticulously created by Shaanxi Cultural Tourism Group, is a project particularly worth watching during a red tour of Yan'an today. Watching "Yan'an Nursery" was also the final itinerary of the Jin-Shaan Grand Canyon tour team in Yan'an.

Yan'an Nursery Theater (Photo by Feng Ganyong)

Actor playing the principal (Tian Yang)

On October 13, 2021, at 11:00 a.m., the reporter joined the team after visiting Zaoyuan. They took a bus to the Yan'an Nursery Theater located in the Jin Yan'an Cultural Industry Park, Hezhuangping Town, Baota District, Yan'an, to watch the large-scale original musical drama "Yan'an Nursery" and received a profound patriotic education.

Selected stills (Photo by Feng Ganyong)

Relying on a large amount of deeply excavated first-hand precious historical materials, the play adopts a unique perspective and boldly uses modern stage drama as the main form of expression. It aims to create a high-quality repertoire of tourism culture and has pioneered a new tourism project in Yan'an.

At the same time, that day's special performance for the Jin-Shaan Grand Canyon team, led by Tian Yang, deputy head of the Yan'an Nursery Art Troupe, was deeply moving and splendid. In particular, the more than ten children in the cast, the youngest only three or four years old, were fully immersed in their performances. They cooperated closely with the adult actors, and their commendable performances were highly praised. This is not only a great challenge for the play but also its highlight!

As the curtain rises, the series of scenes from "Yan'an Nursery" that come into view bring the strongest feeling of heartfelt emotion and shock from the sound and light effects. The play consists of a prologue, "Returning Home," "Growing Up," "Transfer," "Crossing East," and an epilogue.

The stage brings people back to a red memory, recreating the historical scenes of the Yan'an Nursery: smoke-filled battlefields, charges, the love of parents, the bond between the army and the people... Each touching scene not only has strong visual appeal and impact but also brings tears to the eyes and deeply touches the heart.

The large-scale red historical stage drama "Yan'an Nursery" expresses and conveys great love and revolutionary spirit. It focuses on showing the journey of children of revolutionary soldiers and martyrs' orphans who arrived in northern Shaanxi, grew up healthily and happily in the nursery, moved with the troops to northern Shaanxi, crossed the Yellow River eastward, and marched toward New China.

The history shown in "Yan'an Nursery" witnesses the main periods of China's Anti-Japanese War and the War of Liberation, forming an important part of China's revolutionary history. The establishment and operation of the Yan'an Nursery embodied the care of the Party and government. Mao Zedong once inscribed "Take good care of the children" and "Study well, play well," showing concern for the healthy growth of the red descendants. The history of the Yan'an Nursery is also the history of the formation and maturation of the basic concepts and policies of China's education.

With advanced stage concepts and equipment—sound, light, electricity, water, dance, music, and song—the play creates countless immersive dreamscapes. The first fully automated stage in China capable of vertical lifting as a whole or in parts, along with 3D imaging of roaring fighter jets and romantic starry skies, traverses multi-dimensional battlefields. It brings audiences to witness the children's angelic chorus, hear the high-pitched and melodious northern Shaanxi folk songs, feel the passionate burst of Ansai waist drum dance, and experience the innocent hearts of children, the selfless hearts of teachers, the fearless hearts of soldiers, and the great love built between the army and the people.

It is reported that since its premiere on July 1, 2012, at Yan'an Shengdi Grand Theater, "Yan'an Nursery" has received widespread acclaim and high recognition from people from all walks of life. It is widely regarded by many media and critics as a new red performing arts masterpiece with avant-garde artistic creativity, profound content, grand scenes, unique style, and tremendous influence, moving many old comrades who experienced the storms of that era to tears.

Group photo (Photo by Feng Ganyong)

After the performance, the comrades of the Jin-Shaan Grand Canyon tour team, veterans from eight regiments of the former Heilongjiang Production and Construction Corps of the Shenyang Military Region of the People's Liberation Army, spread the regimental flags on the stage and took a group photo with the actors. (Text and photos by Feng Ganyong)