"Of course the Chinese will love it. Every time I go back to China and tell people I am an artist for Cirque du Soleil, I'm always asked when the troupe will perform here. And here we are," said Yao during an interview with China Daily USA, prior to a news conference in Beijing on July 14 to announce the launch of the show.

Though Cirque du Soleil debuted in China 10 years ago, this is only the second time that the Canadian circus and entertainment company has brought its show to the country. It also marks the first time its artists are performing in China since Chinese conglomerate Fosun Group acquired a 25-percent share in the company in 2015.

The Kooza tour of China will begin in Shanghai on Oct 1, the beginning of the nation's weeklong National Day holiday, before moving on to Beijing and another five Chinese cities. The troupe will perform six days a week for two months at every location.

"Kooza is not a warm-up for the upcoming resident show in Hangzhou," said Daniel Lamarre, CEO of the Montreal-headquartered company. "It is our official entry into the market. We will have a very intense presence in China, starting October and lasting forever."

Lamarre added that there will be at least one tour taking place in China every year. The resident show in Hangzhou of Zhejiang province is scheduled to open by the end of 2018.

Kooza, which means "box" in Sanskrit, tells the story of an innocent clown embarking on a magical journey inside the world of circus performances. The show pays homage to traditional circus acts by combining a variety of acrobatic moves including aerial hoops, contortion and balancing acts.

"It was very important to bring a show to China that would be more distinctive than anything else here. We thought that Kooza would be a very good way to introduce our brand to China because it is joyful and represents a return to our company's roots," said Lamarre.

Cirque du Soleil was formed by a group of street performers in Quebec in 1984. It has since grown into a multinational company that has created 43 shows over the last three decades, with 23 of them currently performed globally.

Lamarre said that choosing a show that was more rooted in tradition was the "safe pick" for the local market, noting that the circus has a rich history spanning about 2,000 years in China.

"I have been doing lots of research. There are two schools of thoughts in China about the traditional arts. One is that people are looking for Western brands, which is going to be very appealing for Cirque du Soleil. The other is that locals want foreign brands to respect their culture," he said.

The upcoming show, he added, will appeal to the first group of people. Meanwhile, the resident show in Hangzhou, which will feature a blend of Chinese and Western cultural elements, would cater to the second. In addition, at least 50 percent of the Hangzhou cast will be Chinese artists.

Lamarre is confident that Chinese audiences will like the shows that Cirque du Soleil has to offer, citing the troupe's expertise in choreographing acrobatic arts that are weaved into emotional storylines.

Johnny Dean Harvey, creative director of Kooza, expanded on this point.