Culture Beat: Shipwreck

Photo: Courtesy of Beijing Poly Theatre

The dance drama Only Me, ­Qingbai, which uses porcelain as its narrative thread and focuses on the iconic figures of celadon porcelain craftsmen during the Song (960-1279) and Yuan (1279-1368) dynasties, made its grand debut at the Beijing Poly Theatre in Beijing on Friday.

Inspired by the archaeological discovery of the Nanhai One shipwreck, the drama tells the story of an elderly porcelain craftsman from the late Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127) who dreams of his youth when he traveled south to China's porcelain capital Jingdezhen in East China's Jiangxi Province to learn the craft. The production reflects the personal story of an ordinary man amid the historical turning points in Jingdezhen's history, while also vividly recounting the changes in the porcelain industry and the evolution of its firing techniques.

At the premiere, the audience gathered to check out the themed merchandise inspired by the elements of the show as well as Qingbai porcelain from Jingdezhen.