As one of the most dynamic cities in the world, Shanghai is a great place to feel the fusion of Eastern and Western cultures. But tradition is still an important part of Shanghai life and some art forms with a long pedigree are still going strong. So much so that on Monday, opera buffs were willing to spend an afternoon and evening taking in the Kunqu Opera classic, "Peony Pavilion."

Monday's performance of the "Peony Pavilion" was a condensed version of the original －－ stripped from its usual 10 hours to 6. Nevertheless, it still runs over an afternoon and night.

The changes impacted on the opera's script and stage design and gave the actors a chance to inject some freshness into the show. The script－doctors played up the romance of the piece while the music arrangers broke with the traditional score to introduce some more contemporary elements.

"Peony Pavilion" was originally created more than 500 years ago by Tang Xianzu, one of the big names in Ming Dynasty Kunqu opera. It tells the romantic tale of heroine Du Liniang enduring the slings and arrows of life in her search for her dream lover.

Editor: Li Guixiang.