2021 Reservation and Ticket Booking Hotline for The Appointment at Kunlun in Xinjiang – Ticket Prices – Booking – Address
Kunlun Agreement Reservation Phone: 181-3962-2229 Same as WeChat ID 0991-8585456
Tickets for The Appointment at Kunlun – Click to Book
First Act: The Appointment at Kunlun
The first act mainly tells about the prosperity during the reign of King Mu of Zhou and the reason for his determination to travel thousands of miles westward to keep the appointment at Kunlun. King Mu of Zhou, in order to fulfill the promise between his ancestor the Yellow Emperor and the Queen Mother of the West, brought a golden bell to Kunlun thousands of miles away. During the performance, the huge palace set combined with bronze musical instruments such as chime bells and stone chimes created the concept of ‘The King’s Space’. On a tall wine goblet, four big characters flowed out like wine: ‘This is China’ (宅兹中国), which is also the introduction and the finishing touch of the entire play. Through the powerful narration, the story background was interpreted for the audience in a combination of classical Chinese and vernacular Chinese, quickly drawing them into the plot.
The setup of chime bells and stone chimes was very flavorful. When the music of Shao started playing, the lights focused on King Mu of Zhou in the middle of the hall. From the audience’s perspective, the entire palace and set design could be seen clearly, which was very spectacular. In the scene where all nations paid tribute, on a stage spanning more than 20,000 square meters, people portraying ancient tribes such as the Yue, Guifang, Quanrong, Guzhu, and Xuyi galloped in from the right side of the stage. The narrator’s voice rang out, quoting from ‘The Spring and Autumn Annals and the Zuo Zhuan Justice’ – ‘The beauty of clothing and decorations is called Hua, and the grandeur of rites and ceremonies is called Xia’, making the audience feel proud to be Chinese.
Second Act: Dreams as Horses
The second act mainly tells the story of how King Mu of Zhou and his companions such as Zao Fu and Bo Yao encountered a snowy mountain on their way to keep the appointment at Kunlun. Historical records state that the emperor dined on nine tripods, while ministers dined on five tripods, which was fully reflected in the props and meticulous details, creating a quality literary and artistic work with dedication.
Subsequently, the scene in the play where the chef combines fish and mutton in cooking was also eye-catching. The line ‘Fish and mutton cooked together, delicious!’ seems ordinary but actually has an allusion behind it. It is said that Peng Zu had 54 sons, and one of his younger sons loved fish. Peng Zu was afraid that he would get sick from eating too much fish and repeatedly stopped him. To avoid Peng Zu, the younger son hid the fish inside mutton to cook it, but unexpectedly, it was extremely delicious. After tasting it, Peng Zu approved and named it Fish Hidden in Mutton Square, which is how the character for ‘delicious’ (鲜) originated.
On the one hand, it has increased everyone’s knowledge; on the other hand, it has shown from another angle that during the Western Zhou Dynasty, Chinese food culture already had a long history. There is substance everywhere in this quality play, and one must watch it attentively; otherwise, one might miss out on the knowledge points.
Third Act: Promises as Wheels
The third act mainly tells the story of how King Mu of Zhou and his entourage encountered the Daughters of the Nation on their way, and the soldiers were enchanted by the soft allure. King Mu of Zhou awakened the soldiers’ determination to continue westward with the noble idea of the descendants of the Yellow Emperor keeping their promises, and they pressed onward with determination.
The beauty of dance is the highlight of the third act. In the play, the actors portraying the soldiers and the residents of the Daughters of the Nation danced gracefully in the center of the stage. The magnificent group dance, exquisite costumes, vividly recreated the idyllic scenery along the Emperor Zhou’s western tour.
The actress portraying the leader of the Daughters of the Nation is Chen Yuting, a girl from Chongqing. Graduating from Chongqing University of Arts and Sciences with a major in Dance (Teacher Education), she fully displayed the femininity and liveliness of a young girl on stage.
The various expressions of the characters in the play rely on the perfect coordination of the dancers’ body movements and musical background. The only way is to continuously and diligently practice, enhancing the performance with stage beauty. "O, gentle pair of turtle-doves, On the island in the river free, Fair maiden, fit for a prince’s love…", the girls of the Land of Women dance with joy and enthusiasm, wanting to retain the soldiers. The chief of the Land of Women says to Bo Yao, "Fool", which is humorous yet lively, contrasting with the righteous atmosphere of the entire plot. The characters on stage feel like flesh-and-blood people like me.
Fourth Act: The Heart as the Wheel
The fourth act mainly tells the story of King Mu of Zhou and his exhausted troops, with the fire god igniting a sea of flames to block their path, causing the horses to scatter and the wheels to become rooted. In the dangerous situation, King Mu of Zhou vows to cross the sea of flames, and the fierce fire god is also conquered.
Amidst the sea of flames, horses gallop wildly. A group of "little fire gods" dressed in red surround the Western Zhou caravan on stage, flipping and flying around to block their westward path.
The actors’ continuous pirouette movements resemble blazing firewheels. Stage effects create bursts of fire, and pre-placed fuel ignites at the front of the stage, sending waves of heat and the smell of fireworks into the audience. The combination of reality and imagination is fascinating.
The beauty of song is one of the highlights of the fourth act. In the two spaces, King Mu of Zhou and the Queen Mother of the West sing across the void, with modern vocal techniques interpreting the inner monologues of their millennia-old appointment.
In terms of visual imagery, the fourth act focuses on the jade of the Queen Mother of the West’s world to present a visual contrast with the gold associated with King Mu of Zhou, symbolizing hardness and softness, rigidity and flexibility. On one side is the order and solemnity constructed by bronze; on the other side is the mystery and romance of the Western Regions composed of snowy mountains, rock walls, and celestial lakes. This forms a stark contrast between the two spaces and emotionally blends them together, providing a spatial foundation for the theme of the next act, "Resonant Harmony of Gold and Jade, Heaven and Earth".
Fifth Act: Harmony of Heaven and Earth
The fifth and final act of the plot depicts King Mu of Zhou meeting the Queen Mother of the West atop Kunlun as the sun and moon intersect, fulfilling their millennia-old Kunlun Agreement. As the highlight of the fifth act, the grand Shao Music ceremony echoes the Shao Music display in the first act, but the scene is even larger and more magnificent, marking the climax of the entire performance.
Shao Music is the high-level court music of ancient China. "The Analects of Confucius – The Conduct of Confucius" records that Confucius, while in Qi, heard the Shao Music and for three months forgot the taste of meat. Referred to as "The First Movement of China", in the play, as the lights illuminate the entire venue, the palace symbolizing King Mu of Zhou’s space echoes with the snowy mountains of the Queen Mother of the West’s space. Horse-riding guards gallop towards the center of the stage from multiple directions, forming a loop. The scene is one of the grandest in the entire play.
Based on the stories recorded in classics such as "The Classic of Mountains and Seas", "Biographies of Emperor Mu of Zhou", and "Chronicles of Bamboo Books", "Kunlun Agreement" presents through five acts the emperor of Zhou’s western tour, his trials and tribulations, and the fulfillment of his appointment with the Queen Mother of the West at Kunlun. It fully showcases the long history of exchanges and integration between the mainland and border areas of China, portraying a magnificent poem of Chinese people helping and working together.
Kunlun Agreement Reservation Phone: 181-3962-2229 Same as WeChat ID 0991-8585456