Based on cultural resources, Xi'an, capital of Northwest China's Shaanxi province, has created a large number of excellent performing art shows for its tourism sector, becoming an important window to showcase Chinese culture.

The dance drama Song of Everlasting Sorrow is performed on stage at Huaqing Palace. [Photo/Xi'an Daily]

From January to October 2023, the city's 12 tourism performing art shows received a total of 6.2 million visits, a year-on-year increase of 144 percent compared to 2019. This generated an operating income of 932 million yuan ($130.31 million), a year-on-year increase of 114 percent compared to 2019.

In recent years, various tourist shows in Xi'an have realized integrated development through new models, such as "performing arts + cultural tourism", "performing arts + music", "performing arts + technology" and "performing arts + consumption".

The Chang'an Impression-Tang Dynasty Welcoming Ceremony is staged at the Xi'an City Wall. [Photo/Xi'an Daily]

The show, The Song of Everlasting Sorrow, which was selected as part of the first batch of national tourism performing arts list, has achieved a cumulative revenue of nearly 1.5 billion yuan since its premiere. This helped to drive the comprehensive revenue of surrounding hotels, health care, and cultural and creative industries to exceed 7 billion yuan. It is a well-known gold-lettered calling card for Xi'an's tourism sector.

The Chang'an Impression-Tang Dynasty Welcoming Ceremony, staged at the Xi'an City Wall, is a large-scale performance that replicates welcoming etiquette from the Tang Dynasty (618-907). This show has become a must-see performance for tourists.

Other famous performances in the city include An Army Reborn, the Romantic Show of Xi'an, and the Tuoling Legend.

A vivid scene during the show, An Army Reborn. [Photo/Xi'an news network]