Carved in Binyangzhong Cave, an imperial cave excavated in the Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534), the relief sculpture Emperor and Empress Pay Respect for Buddha is a national treasure of great historical and cultural values.

In the 1930s, the sculpture was stolen and taken abroad in pieces. "We hope to resurrect this work through many forms, and this live-action performance is one of them. It took nearly three months to prepare," Dan Gao, researcher of Longmen Grottoes Research Institute, said.

In order to restore the images on the relief, the research team collected literature and pictures, and studied the character's makeup and hair, costumes, props and movements one by one.

Apart from the actors for the emperor and empress, most of the 40-plus cast members are young people born after 2000.

"It is recorded that Emperor Xiaowen died at the age of 33, so he would have been younger, and his empress and entourage would have been younger, too," said Guoqing Zhu, scene instructor.

"Actors started studying materials a month in advance, imitating the looks of the characters from the sculpture, and then rehearsed many times to get the final effect," he added.

"The painting shows the development of ancient Chinese painting and sculpture, and is of great value for the study of painting, sculpture, social history, dress, religion and multi-ethnic integration," Gao said. "We hope to present traditional art in a modern way through live performances and other forms, and introduce traditional Chinese culture to more people."