Tout-Petits Cinema, a French project combining animation and concerts, will be on a The largescale live show, From China Arises Mao Zedong, has been staged since April 2014 in Mao’s hometown Shaoshan, Hunan province. [Photo/China Daily]

As one of the few live shows with a revolutionary theme in the country, it has become a major draw for tourists who visit Shaoshan to pay tribute to Mao Zedong.

With the classical revolutionary tune The East Is Red playing, "Chairman Mao" walks to the center of the stage, where the Tian'anmen Gate Tower stands, and announces the founding of New China.

The voice is Mao's. This is from a recording made at the founding ceremony on Oct 1, 1949.

In the meantime, a giant statue of Mao, looking glorious with stage lighting, slowly rises to tower over the huge stage that now resembles a map of China.

This concluding scene brings the large-scale live show, From China Arises Mao Zedong, to a climax and wins waves of applause from an overwhelmed audience.

The show, which premiered in April 2014, has been staged nearly 440 times at the Runze Oriental Cultural City in Mao's hometown Shaoshan city, in Central China's Hunan province.

As one of the few live shows with a revolutionary theme in the country, it has become a major draw for tourists who visit Shaoshan to pay tribute to the late leader.

It has attracted more than 400,000 people, bringing in more than 40 million yuan ($6.2 million) in earnings. The audience members, who are between 40 and 60, are mostly brought in by tourist agencies and come from within the province or nearby regions, says Xiong Xingbao, general manager of the show's main investor Shaoshan Runze Oriental Culture Industry Development Co.

"We were afraid that some people may see it as pure propaganda because of the theme. We were also worried that it may not be attractive, especially for the younger generation," Xiong says, adding there were such concerns when the show was conceived.

"So far the response has been good, and there is no voice of doubt anymore. We intend to carry out education about patriotism through stage art."

He says the show follows a strict historical context, but with artistic adaptations in terms of details.

"We don't want to make it look like a history textbook, or pure fantasy."

The show is directed by Li Hanzhong, who had been chief director of another successful live show in Xi'an city. The current show has a prelude and six scenes, which revolve around Mao's revolutionary experiences.