Something spectacular awaits the G20 leaders in the lakeside town. Actors and directors are gearing up for the evening gala on September 4th, in a showcase what will be an unforgettable view of the magnificent West Lake.
Produced by a team led by famed Chinese director Zhang Yimou, the show is staged with the majestic West Lake as its background.
And it's definitely not an ordinary stage. Through a remarkable feat of engineering, the platform lies centimetres below the water surface, so it seems the actors are defying the laws of physics.
"Usually, we only dance on special stages and training rooms, where there's professional anti-skid glue. But now it's more challenging to dance on the slippery floor. At first we could hardly even walk on the stage. But now, it's much easier, thanks to these specially designed shoes," said ballet dancer.
These elegant ballet dancers are a preview of what's to come for the gala.
Using special lighting and features, the show focuses on the city's rich cultural heritage. It takes time, effort and great ingenuity to conceptualise a unique, exquisite and special performance.
"It took the construction team two months to complete the lighting project. To add more Chinese traditional elements, we hung lamps resembling stars on all the trees surrounding the lake. Thanks to that, West Lake now looks like a landscape from a traditional Chinese painting," said Sha Xiaolan, producer of G20 Summit Evening Gala.
Both producer Sha and director Zhang are no stranger to this kind of high-level spectacle. They were involved in the production of the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, and the evening gala for the 2014 APEC leaders' meeting in Beijing.
Will the team once again impress the world with their interpretation of Chinese culture and tradition? We'll just have to wait and see.
