Shen Fu has this boyish recklessness about him.[Photo provided to China Daily]

"Six Chapters of a Floating Life is not only a performance, but also an immersive performance in Suzhou gardens, integrating cultural and creative products, making the performance part of 'garden life', 'art life' and a one-stop viewing program for the refined and elegant 'Suzhou' lifestyle," Xiao says.

The show tries to convey the book's love of life, the willingness to spend time and energy to go deep into every detail, to invest in it and enjoy the attitude of life.

"This was the Suzhou lifestyle for the literati at the time, but it is a lifestyle that many people want nowadays," says Xiao.

In addition to normal garden version of the Kunqu Opera, the producer also introduces an abridged version for younger audiences. There are also plans next season for an English version, in which a historical foreign character appears in 19th century Suzhou as a guiding narrator to the audience. The 30-minute interactive session which answers questions from the audience plus 60-minute performance is staged every Friday, and the 30-minute interactive plus 30-minute abridged show is performed every Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday.