This November, the show will be staged for the 800th time since it premiered in 2018. The company has continuously updated the show and cultivated new actors for the roles. "We now have four pairs of dancers for the lead characters," Wang says.

"I took the role in my 30s, about the same age as when the real hero in the story died. Now that I am 41, we are using younger dancers who were born in the 1990s for the character. It's like we are passing it on to new generations of dancers. Each performer puts something of their own into the role, and helps retain the vitality and youth of the show."

Contact the writer at zhangkun@chinadaily.com.cn