The poetic dance drama “The Journey of a Legendary Landscape Painting” employs a narrative structure of multiple time-spaces crossing over with one another. The story begins simultaneously at two overlapping moments in time: the historical moment when the young Xi Meng was finishing his painting, and the contemporary moment when “A Panorama of Mountains and Rivers” is about to be exhibited. The scroll keeper (whose point of view is shared by the audience) steps into Xi Meng’s mind as he studies the painting diligently, and accompanies Xi Meng through the entire process of creating this legendary piece of art. As such the obscure artist and the fascinated beholder become kindred spirits, and together they explore the entangled contingencies and inevitabilities of the painting’s unique place in Chinese history and recognize the emotional ties between ancient artifacts and our modern conditions.

On stage, a multi-layered scene will be presented like a painting. Under the bright moon that has shone for thousands of years, the scroll keeper and Xi Meng stare into each other's eyes. The diligent researchers and cultural workers at the Palace Museum, together with the indefatigable craftspeople of ancient China, form a humanistic picture with a blend of affective and scenic depictions.