A poster of the film A Tapestry of A Legendary Land Photo: Courtesy of China Oriental Performing Arts Group

The highly anticipated film A Tapestry of A Legendary Land is set to grace the big screen on Tuesday, the beginning of China'sweek-long National Day holiday, marking a unique fusion of dance and cinematic art. 

Adapted from the hit eponymous dance poem drama, the movie takes the audience on a visual and emotional journey through the eyes of a modern exhibitor, who narrates the story of how Xi Meng, a painter of the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127), created the masterpiece A Panorama of Rivers and Mountains.

The inspiration for the dance poem drama, and now the film, originates from one of China's most renowned paintings, A Panorama of Rivers and Mountains, a treasure housed in the Palace Museum in Beijing. The painting, rarely displayed to the public due its fragile nature, was last exhibited in 2017, an event that sparked the creative drive of director Zhou Liya. 

"We saw this famous painting quietly lying there in the Palace Museum, and it inspired us to use another form of art to let more audiences see it and truly bring it to life," she told the Global Times.

Adapting the dance drama into a film comes from the same creative impulse. The other director Han Zhen told the Global Times that the film is an "exploration of the cinematic adaptation of dance art  to show a different dimension of A Panorama of Rivers and Mountain under the lens."

Due to the absence of any dialogue or spoken lines, the adaptation of the dance drama for the big screen presented some challenges. The creative team debated whether to add dialogue to the film, "but in the end, we all made concessions to the dance," Han said. 

"This is a niche art film, but it carries a public sentiment. We believe that the inherent beauty of the story and its sincere emotions spanning thousands of years can still connect with and touch the audience," Han said.

The talented painter Xi Meng poured his heart and soul into capturing the essence of mountains and rivers, creating the legendary A Panorama of Rivers and Mountains at the age of 18, after which he vanished without a trace, leaving little historical record. The film A Tapestry of A Legendary Land brings Xi Meng's short life to the forefront, creating a vivid and passionate young image on screen.

To get closer to the genius painter, Chinese dancer and actor Zhang Han who played the role of Xi Meng told the Global Times that he had copied the painting to feel the state of mind of Xi Meng with each brushstroke. This experience left a deep impression on him. He said that when he played the part of Xi Meng, he could "devote everything to this work" just like the painter.

The role of "Green" is a symbolic figure in the film, representing the mountains and rivers of the painting, showcasing the grandeur and ancient charm of A Panorama of Rivers and Mountains, and connecting past and present. 

Meng Qingyang who played the role of "Green" told the Global Times that "Green" is not only a connector between Xi Meng and the exhibitor, but also a bridge between the audience and traditional culture. 

"'Green' is she who has seen the profound rivers and mountains on behalf of Xi Meng; and when she looks at the audience, she is also telling them that this is a gift from the ancients to the descendants," she said.

Since its premiere in Beijing in 2021, the dance poem drama has been performed nearly 600 times, and has also earned acclaim worldwide after being performed overseas, making it a well-deserved phenomenon in Chinese dance.
Currently, the discussions for overseas film festival distribution are ongoing, according to Han.

"Chinese culture is fully confident in stepping onto the international stage just as it is… I believe that this film could successfully stride onto the world stage when it goes international," she said.