A historical opera telling the story of Wu Zetian, China's only recorded empress, premiered on Monday in Xi'an, an ancient capital located in the northwestern province of Shaanxi.
Created by Xi'an Sanyi Troupe after six years of dedicated efforts, the show "Stele Without Inscription" chronicles Empress Wu's legendary journey as the smart and ambitious woman navigated the complexities of governance and power, taking the throne in her own right, reforming the regime, developing the economy, fostering cultural prosperity, and ultimately paving the way for the golden age of the Tang Dynasty (618-907).
With captivating storyline and enchanting background music, the performance recreated the splendor of the Tang Empire in the form of Qinqiang Opera, a Chinese folk opera genre mainly prevailing in northwest China.
"Everything is incredibly beautiful, including the script, the director's interpretation, our performances, the music, the lighting, and the costumes. I hope that more audience, especially young people, will come to the theater to watch our Qinqiang Opera," said Hou Hongqin, one of the performers.
Founded about 3,100 years ago, Xi'an served as the capital of 13 dynasties in Chinese history, including the flourishing Tang Dynasty.
Historical opera featuring China's only empress staged in Xi'an
Historical opera featuring China's only empress staged in Xi'an
Marking China's 11th Space Day, the China National Space Administration (CNSA) introduced major space projects in the 15th Five-Year Plan period on Friday in Chengdu, the provincial capital of Sichuan in the southwest, the main venue of a series of events marking this day.
Jointly sponsored by the CNSA and the provincial government, the event revealed major sci-tech achievements and space industry updates, with Shan Zhongde, head of the CNSA, introducing China's major space projects to be implemented in the next five years.
"In the areas of entering space, utilizing space, exploring space, and governing space, we will intensify the efforts to carry out key projects including manned spaceflight, lunar probe, planetary probe, and the national satellite internet. We will pace up the demonstration and launch of a new generation of space-power initiatives such as heavy-lift rockets, reusable launch vehicles, and next-generation national space infrastructure. In the fields of lunar and planetary probe, asteroid defense, on-orbit service, and space debris mitigation, we will deepen international collaboration, build the International Lunar Research Station, have in-depth engagement in global space governance, and create an open and cooperative landscape for China's space industry to build a community with a shared future for mankind," Shan said.
The CNSA also released a series of updates marking the Space Day, including the latest lunar discoveries from the Chang'e-5 mission, two new minerals named magnesiochangesite-(Y) and changesite-(Ce), selected international partners for the Tianwen-3 Mars mission, announcement of international cooperation opportunities for the Xihe-2 mission, and the Version 1.0 of the Commercial Space Standards System.
On the same occasion, Xie Jun, deputy chief designer of the BeiDou system, Zhang Bing, member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and veteran astronaut Ye Guangfu, were appointed as the 2026 China Space Public Welfare Ambassadors.
More than 30 side events will take place across Chengdu during the Space Day period. Highlights include a space science exhibition at the Chengdu New International Convention and Exhibition Center, a VR sci-fi drama aimed at extending space knowledge, and the Space Wish Initiative launched by the China Media Group (CMG), inviting the public to share their stories related to space.
"We plan to put up over 30 activities in various forms with rich content for the Space Day to give people a feeling for the evolution and dynamism of China's space program. Aside from offering academic exchange platforms for professionals, we place more emphasis on engaging the public, particularly young people, in carrying forward the spirit and culture of space exploration," said Wang Cheng, secretary-general of the China Space Foundation.
Officials introduces space projects in 15th 5-Year Plan period
