The musical play "A Wonderful Night at Dunhuang" is staged in Tianjin on Nov 5. [Photo/chinanews.com]

The parent-child oriented musical play "A Wonderful Night at Dunhuang" was staged at the Tianjin Auditorium on Nov 5.

Co-produced by Chinese and American theater companies, the play offers the world a chance to engage with China's long-standing Dunhuang culture.

It tells the story of an adventure-loving little girl, Lina, who is brought to the Gobi by a mysterious force. During the crescent moon, she meets male protagonist Luming, who was transformed from a nine-colored deer - the symbol of Dunhuang, and a Silk Road merchant, Babaya. The three of them start on a journey to find musical instruments from the heavenly palace.

The music of the play was originally composed by Michael Brennan, the music director of Disney's The Lion King, and several outstanding Chinese musicians. Guo Zhenrong, who has worked for the Chinese version of the musical Cats and Beauty and the Beast, is in charge of the choreography.

The troupe plans to conduct a global tour in North America, Central Asia, and Southeast Asia, continuing to display the culture of the famous nine-story building in Dunhuang, the nine-colored deer and the "prophet" birds that guard sacred books.