City's sea, skyscrapers set stage for 'dreamlike' gala

Fireworks and a light show color the Qingdao skyline during a performance to welcome leaders attending the 18th Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit in Shandong province on Saturday. [Photo by Feng Yongbin/provided to China Daily]

A stunning spectacle on the sea in Qingdao welcomed overseas leaders and delegates in town for the 18th Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit on Saturday night.

The show, which lasted about 20 minutes, was a mixture of classical and modern Chinese styles and featured a giant globe as its centerpiece, symbolizing the nation's commitment to a community of shared future for mankind.

Three Stanzas of Plum Blossoms, an ancient Chinese piece of music, opened proceedings before various routines involving about 100 performers and a light show incorporating the skyscrapers along the eastern city's Fushan Bay.

Fireworks and a light show color the Qingdao skyline during a performance to welcome leaders attending the 18th Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit in Shandong province on Saturday. [Photo by Feng Yongbin/provided to China Daily]

"It's the first time the stage for such a gala has interacted with a city's skyline and the sea," said Zhang Yimou, the show's director. "We wanted to use the ocean to represent inclusiveness."

At one point, an "astronaut" emerged from the globe, an element Zhang said represented how China has embraced modern technology and has an open attitude to the future.

The show closed to Russian composer Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No 1 as fireworks lit the sky.

[Photo by Feng Yongbin/provided to China Daily]

Zhang planned the gala with art director Yi Ming. The duo previously collaborated on shows for the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the G20 Summit in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, in 2016.

In February, a show they devised was performed at the closing ceremony at the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics in South Korea, with the next Games to be co-hosted by Beijing.

"Coastal cities create a dreamlike feeling," Yi said shortly before Saturday's gala. "If we do well, Qingdao will leave a great impression in the hearts of people watching at home on TV."