Photo taken on Nov. 25, 2022 shows the Chinese American music artist Rui Fu rehearsing "Nine Songs" in AlUla, northwestern Saudi Arabia. (Xinhua/Wang Haizhou)
RIYADH, Nov. 28 (Xinhua) -- Saudi Arabia's Wadi AlFann, or "Valley of the Arts," started its artistic and cultural program with the world premiere of live-action performance of music "Nine Songs" over the weekend.
Wadi AlFann is a new global cultural destination for contemporary art, covering 65 square km in the desert of AlUla, northwestern Saudi Arabia.
"Nine Songs" is inspired by a set of poems of the same name, which constitute a section of Chu Ci (Songs of Chu), an ancient anthology of Chinese romantic poetry from the 1st century BC.
"I am often fascinated by the story of our ancestors... and it's been a really interesting process to bring this Chinese perspective to the Arab world this time," Chinese American music artist Rui Fu, also the creator and leading actress of the performance, told Xinhua after the premiere.
Invited by the Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU), the performance brings a world-class ensemble of performers from across the globe, such as China, Japan, Britain, India and the United States.
"'Nine Songs' is a homage to the age-old artistic tradition, which is why the ancient land of AlUla is a powerful place for its premiere," said Nora Aldabal, executive director of arts and creative industries at the RCU.
Touching on themes of ancestry, civilization and humanity, "Nine Songs" resonates deeply with people from across the world, regardless of culture, language or background, said Fu.
Impressed by the appreciative audience in AlUla, Fu said it is wonderful to see how the Saudi people became interested in and were moved by a Chinese story, even though it has many different elements from different cultures.
Following its premiere in AlUla, the performance will go on to the most prestigious arts festivals around the world, including London, New York, Edinburgh, Shanghai, Berlin and Athens.
Photo taken on Nov. 24, 2022 shows the Chinese American music artist Rui Fu rehearsing "Nine Songs" in AlUla, northwestern Saudi Arabia. (Royal Commission for AlUla/Handout via Xinhua)■
