Chen Yun is one of the loveliest women in Chinese literature.[Photo provided to China Daily]

The opera has become a window for visitors to understand Suzhou culture and the Suzhou-style life in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).

Gordon says there is a certain universal appeal to an evening performance in a beautiful garden. "As for the play itself and its relationship to both Shen Fu's original work and Chinese culture more broadly, we've thought really hard about how to use subtitles to make it more accessible to international audiences in the most effective and concise way possible," he says.

The innovation of staging Kunqu Opera in one of Suzhou's most famous gardens has breathed new life into the traditional art form.

"The normal theatrical mechanics of microphones, elaborate lighting and an easily accessible backstage and wings are replaced with the garden setting. But the biggest difference is that it brings the actors closer to the audience. This is challenging but also invigorating, both for them and the audience. The proximity makes the detail in the singing, movement and facial expression much more apparent," Gordon says.