The script of Peaceful Year started 10 years ago, says scriptwriter Wang Jixin, who has adapted Lao She's works such as Teahouse and Beneath the Red Banner.

"It shows people's longing for a happy and peaceful life," says Wang, adding that the show is also dedicated to the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.

According to Dai, the 76-year-old composer who has been working with the Beijing Quju Opera Troupe for over five decades, the new show's music, like the other works of the troupe, is based on the rhythm of Chinese language, especially the local Beijing dialect.

Dai says the Beijing Quju Opera Troupe was on the verge of being disbanded about two decades ago. A show, titled Snuff Bottles, written by Zhang Yonghe and directed by Gu, saved it. Before that, the troupe had produced no new shows for five years.