Fan's research takes to the stage

A new version of Huju Opera "Daughter of Dunhuang" will be staged at local universities to offer students a glimpse into the life of Shanghai-born Fan Jinshi, who spent 50 years fighting to preserve the ancient Buddhist wall paintings at Dunhuang in China's Gansu Province.

The opera made its debut in May and a revised version will be staged at the Shanghai Oriental Art Center on Wednesday night, the Shanghai Huju Theater announced on Wednesday.

The stage effects, script and character expressions have all been adjusted. One of the caves that influenced Fan's research over more than 50 years is replicated on stage, a major change, and some dialogue has been altered or cut to make the flow of the plot smoother, the theater said.

The opera will be staged at Shanghai Maritime University, Tongji University and Shanghai University of Finance and Economics in November and December.

Eighty-year-old archeologist Fan, the third director of the Dunhuang Research Institute, was sent to Dunhuang after graduating from Peking University in 1963. She decided to remain there. Living in an abandoned temple, Fan devoted herself to protecting the treasures from sand and damp.