Promotional materials for the symphony. Photo: Courtesy for NCPA

A large-scale symphony praising the Chinese historical figure Guan Yu will debut on Tuesday at the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) in Beijing. 

The performance is the first large-scale musical work dedicated to Guan Yu, also known as Guan Gong. The symphony was created base on incorporating musical elements from Pu Opera, which was originated from as well as is very popular in North China's Shanxi Province. Comprised of four main chapters, an introduction and the finishing chapter, the work not only praises Guan Yu, but also refers to popular stories such as "Oath in the Peach Garden" in the classic Chinese novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms. The musical piece's main idea is to show Guan Yu's glorious but tragic life through the delivery of soft and passionate music to audiences. 

Guan Yu, a heroic general of the Three Kingdoms period (220-280) at the end of the Han Dynasty (206BC-AD220), shared a brotherly relationship with two other remarkable historical characters, Liu Bei and Zhang Fei. He has become a symbol of loyalty and bravery who is respectfully titled as "Martial Saint," alongside Confucius, the "Saint of Literature."  

The symphony is one of the highlights included in a series of events promoting cultural tourism in the historical city of Yuncheng in Shanxi Province. Launched by organizations such as Shanxi Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism and the People's Government of Yuncheng, the promotional events aim to recommend and promote themed tourist routes related to the city of Yuncheng, which was once the hometown of Guan Yu.  

Besides the symphony, there will also be a panel discussion that further explains the meaning behind this musical piece.