Xu Fei: Dream Park

A new theater called Dream Park, opened by Xu Fei, is a vivid testament to the ambitions of China's hottest contemporary artists.

Planned in 2007 and opened in 2009, the high-ceilinged 7,000-sq-m space is adorned with Chinese antiques and museum-quality floors. It is colored black and white, gray and red, and there is also a landscaped garden that contains authentic Song Dynasty (AD 960-1279) relics.

A successful arts venue must be versatile and appeal to a wide spectrum of the community rather than suit the interests of a few, Xu says. Therefore, it is a place where visitors can immerse themselves in traditional Chinese culture, from a Song Dynasty tea ceremony, with Chinese dishes, to Shi Fang, a play that shows the four seasons and explores the meaning of life.

"The common factor to successful venues around the world is that the audience expects it to be a life-changing experience every time they go," Xu says.

Dream Park, in Caochangdi art village, by the Fifth Ring Road, comprises 7,000-sq-m of dining rooms, meeting rooms, a drama theater and an art gallery.

After 20 years of researching traditional Chinese culture and watching the evolution of the country's theater scene, Xu says the flip side to wanting new things is the erosion of old traditions.

Xu produced the Tibetan drama "Qomolangma" in 1999, and in 2001 he wrote the dance drama "Dynamic Yunnan."

He says he dreams of taking traditional Chinese arts to the world and for the play Shi Fang he borrowed from Chinese ethnic groups such as the Dai and Naxi.

"China has a big cultural identity that is on the brink of being lost. Keeping the traditional alive is what the Park is all about."