A poster advertising the Wuxi-style opera, Xu Xiake [Photo/zgnt.net]

A Wuxi-style opera, Xu Xiake, will be staged at Nantong Gengsu Theater in Nantong, Jiangsu province on March 7.

Xu Xiake was a famous traveler and geographer in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), best known for his geographical treatise and noted for his bravery and humility. He traveled around China for more than 30 years, documenting the country’s unique geography in his masterpiece Diary of the Travels of Xuxiake.

Actors perform Xu Xiake. [Photo/zgnt.net]

The opera, consisting of five scenes, depicts Xu’s last journey, which he began aged 51. The trip to the southwestern part of the country was the longest in distance he had undertaken and took him four years to complete, suffering enormous hardship on the way.

The opera won a prize from the China National Arts Fund in 2018 and has been revised several times to boost its impact on audiences.

Tickets for the performance are available from 50 yuan ($7.38) per person.