Yang Liping's 'Farewell My Concubine' Returns to Shanghai Stage

Renowned dancer and choreographer Yang Liping's "Under Siege: The Full Story of Farewell My Concubine" is making a return to Shanghai stage with an upgraded version.

Commissioned and created for the Shanghai International Arts Festival in 2015, the dance theater work is based on the ancient Chinese story "Farewell My Concubine," combining contemporary dance with Peking Opera, martial arts and other Chinese folk arts like shadow puppets and paper cutting.

The creation featured some of the country's top visual and stage artists, including Hong Kong-based art director Yip Kam-tim, who is best known for his work on Ang Lee's film "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon."

This 2026 version shows greater refinement in stage visuals and expressive performance, while retaining the signature scissor installation suspended high above the center stage – where, as light plays across the scissors, they reflect the collective unease and uncertainty that haunts humanity.

"Farewell My Concubine" tells the story of Xiang Yu, the self-styled "Hegemon-King of Western Chu" who battled for the unification of China with Liu Bang, the eventual founder of the Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 220).

Xiang is surrounded by Liu's forces and on the verge of total defeat. Realizing the dire situation, Xiang's wife Consort Yu begs to die alongside her master, committing suicide with Xiang's sword.

Yang draws on historical figures from 2,000 years ago to probe the eternal human themes of desire and fear, inviting the audience to reflect inward and explore the shared roots of human nature that lie beneath conflict and harm while watching the show.

Performance info

Dates: April 17-18, 7:30pm; April 19, 2:30pm

Tickets: 180-880 yuan

Venue: AIA Grand Theater 北外滩友邦大剧院

Address: 889 Dongdaming Road 东大名路889号