TIANJIN, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Dressed as the tragic heroine Violetta, the singer filled the bustling Italian Style Area with her voice. This area, located in north China's Tianjin Municipality, is the sole well-preserved Italian-style architectural complex in Asia, bearing witness to a vibrant fusion of culture and consumption.
The Italian opera "La Traviata" is usually performed on a theater stage with elaborate sets. This time, during the five-day May Day holiday, it stepped out of the concert hall and into an urban public space, thus transforming the Italianate architectural district in Tianjin into an open-air theater.
Adapted from the novel "The Lady of the Camellias" by Alexandre Dumas fils, the opera tells the story of a tragic romance between Parisian courtesan Violetta Valery and young bourgeois Alfredo Germont.
"The show has infused classic operas with renewed vigor in urban public spaces, thereby enriching the holiday experiences of tourists," said Zhang Yiquan, a performer with the Tianjin Opera and Dance Drama Theater.
Tourists gathered and swayed gently to the music. Among the crowd stood Alberto Casartelli, an Italian who teaches at Tianjin Foreign Studies University. As a frequent visitor to the area, he told Xinhua: "I always find a bit of home here."
Casartelli added that the Baroque windows in this historic area echo the architectural lines seen in old photos of Florence, while artists sketching at outdoor cafes remind him of street painters in Venice.
"We chose classic Italian opera and staged it against authentic Italianate architecture, allowing the audience to immerse themselves in European artistic charm amid these century-old buildings," said Zheng Fang, head of the Tianjin Opera and Dance Drama Theater.
"Music has no borders. Art brings my home closer and beauty connects us across mountains and seas," Casartelli added. "Listening to this opera is wonderful. The love and struggle in the story are as moving as the Chinese legend of 'The Butterfly Lovers,' or 'Liang Zhu' in Chinese."
As performers frequently interacted with the audience at close range, tourists commented that the fresh and intimate performance made them feel like they had truly walked into the opera and become part of the story.
"We broke the boundaries of the theater, and hope more visitors will enjoy the new interpretation and feel that art is more approachable," said Zhang.
"This is how art achieves a deep resonance with the public," noted Zheng, adding that the theater has encouraged art to move out of enclosed spaces to the city's scenic and cultural landmarks. "While strolling through parks, people may encounter a professional performance."
Beyond cultural experience, the immersive opera performance also boosted nearby businesses. Surrounded by Gothic, Roman and Baroque architecture, the Italian Style Area, built in 1902, is home to traditional restaurants, shopping malls, boutique retailers and international brand hotels, where the charm of tradition intertwines with international flair.
"I'm not just doing business. I'm passing on the culture," said Renato Pegoraro, an Italian who runs an Italian-style restaurant in the area. "We have seen many more customers during the holiday. Many visitors want to continue the Italian atmosphere and enjoy an authentic Italian meal here."
"The immersive opera has been staged continuously during the holiday, upgrading the quarter from a traditional sightseeing spot into an artistic field," said Kang Kai, general manager of a company that runs the Italian Style Area.
Kang added that the performance effectively raised the area's cultural recognition and lengthened the stay of tourists. "With a unique cultural experience, visitors' willingness to consume also increases, bringing strong consumption vitality to the area." ■
