A movie production of the opera Long March premieres at the National Center for the Performing Arts in Beijing on July 1.[Photo by Ling Feng/China Daily]

In the opera, Zou, who spent two and a half years revising the script, does well to portray the distinctive character of the soldiers in the opera Long March.

The role of Commander Peng is played by tenor Yan Weiwen, while a heroic 16-year-old soldier, Ping Yazi, is played by tenor Wang Hongwei.

Speaking about the opera, director Tian Qinxin says: "We had many questions before creating this opera. How do we get the audience to connect with a story from 80 years ago? How will they see the soldiers, their sacrifices and their spirit in a contemporary era?

Meanwhile, despite being one of China's most accomplished drama directors, known for her works like Green Snake and Romeo and Juliet, Tian says that Long March - her first opera - was a challenging project.

The tenor Yan, 60, says: "Sacrifice and devotion are the main themes of the Long March. It's more than a historical event. It's a spirit.

"We spent more than three months rehearsing. It was like a dialog with history."

The Long March is the 11th original opera produced by the NCPA.