A scene from the rehearsal of Splendor [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The much-awaited Taihu Show, also known as Splendor, had its first public performance in Wuxi, a city along the Taihu Lake, on Dec 22.

A capacity crowd of 2,000 people enjoyed the story of a classic Chinese beauty, Xi Shi, who helped the king conquer another state during the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC).

Famous international theater director Franco Dragone and his 150 team members spent four years on the 60-minute show, which combines music, dance, comedy, martial arts, acrobatics and other performances, and was staged with the help of high-end technology to enhance the beauty of the dance.

Asked for their reactions after watching the show, audience members unanimously praised the spectacular scenes. A Wuxi native, surnamed Qian, called it the "best ever" and "a stunning display of traditional Wuxi culture".

The Taihu Show Theatre is well-known as it was selected as "the most anticipated building set to shape the world in 2019" by CNN.

With slender white columns positioned around the perimeter of the building, the theatre represents an abstract impression of a bamboo forest. It can become even more dramatic at night with colorful lights and a water show.

"Taihu Show makes the perfect blend of traditional Chinese culture and modern technologies. It is good enough to help Wuxi become a cultural landmark for tourism along the Yangtze River Delta," said Wu Wenxue, member of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

As part of the Wuxi Sunac Resort, a cultural tourism zone that blends cutting-edge technology with regional features, the opening of Taihu Show Theatre is expected to attract more visitors to night-time tours of Wuxi.