Live and in action

Fan Yue, director of Zhiyin Cruise

The stage of the show is not limited to the cabins. Almost everywhere on the ship, there is a stage－the pub, the coffee house, the stairway and corridor corners.

The cruise ship, a full-size replica of the original ship from the early 20th century, has four decks and 98 cabins.

On the third deck, viewers are ushered to their private rooms and will find a cabin decorated with old items, like folding fans, pocket watches and caps, and also a photo album featuring pictures of what life was like back then, including wedding pictures and marriage certificates from the 20th century.

The climax of the show comes as the cruise ship passes under the Second Wuhan Yangtze River Bridge－a moment when the modern encounters the old.

"I have been to the city several times but never had such strong feelings about it," says Huang Kan, a Beijing tourist. "The city's past featured in the show has made me know its culture and understand it better."

It took two years for the show's composition and rehearsal, including building the ship and a dock.

It's Fan's first solo work after the company, founded by him, Zhang and fellow director Wang Chaoge, became a fully-owned subsidiary of Sanxiang Impression Co in 2016.

One day after the debut show, the former shareholders, IDG Capital and Yunfeng Capital, signed a deal with Sanxiang Impression.

The cruise ship is also expected to sail to other cities along the Yangtze River, such as Chongqing and Shanghai, for live shows in the future.