Relief sculpture brought alive after millennium

"It is recorded that Emperor Xiaowen died at the age of 33, so he would have been younger, and his empress and entourage would have been younger, too," said Guoqing Zhu, scene instructor.

"Actors started studying materials a month in advance, imitating the looks of the characters from the sculpture, and then rehearsed many times to get the final effect," he added.

"The painting shows the development of ancient Chinese painting and sculpture, and is of great value for the study of painting, sculpture, social history, dress, religion and multi-ethnic integration," Gao said. "We hope to present traditional art in a modern way through live performances and other forms, and introduce traditional Chinese culture to more people."