From musicals to video games, Shanghai’s creativity is finding new audiences overseas 

An increasing number of quality cultural projects from Shanghai are now drawing extensive attention and huge applause on the global stage, among which is the Chinese original musical #0528.

Staged at the Link Art Center Dream 1 Theater in Seoul from Oct 22 to Jan 11, the musical, a production of Shanghai-based Focustage, had a total of 105 performances there, attracting about 25,000 locals and garnering box-office revenues of about 4.8 million yuan ($695,000) in South Korea.

Blending Chinese storytelling and music with local casts and stage designs, the musical tells a refreshing, heartwarming story of passion, hope, and pursuing dreams — between humans and ghosts.

Yet this is not the company’s first original musical celebrated in South Korea. Earlier, in 2024, The Butterfly on the Bund 1939 made a successful exploration into this mature musical market with a more “Chinese” story.

Set in 1939 Shanghai, it is the first Chinese musical to be licensed in South Korea, telling a story of two women involved in different factions of anti-colonial movements during wartime. The first round of 85 shows achieved an average attendance rate of over 95 percent and impressed nearly 20,000 audiences.

“We have been introducing overseas musicals into the Chinese market. But in recent years, we noticed that more quality Chinese musicals are emerging. So we made the attempt to bring our original ones out, and find them actually well-accepted,” said Liu Hankun, founder and producer of Focustage.

Liu pointed out that the South Korean musical market is mature but becoming “homogenous”, so offering Chinese productions helps capture audiences with a refreshing narrative and approach.

“We share many things in culture, but are different in temperament. Many audiences turned to fans of Chinese culture and music after the show,” said Liu.

Liu added that compared with The Butterfly on the Bund 1939, #0528 features a more “global perspective” in creation, showcasing China’s high standards in scriptwriting and music making to an overseas audience for the first time.

As the company is actively exploring taking Chinese musicals to more countries, such as Japan and Singapore, Shanghai is backing the efforts with favorable policies and support. Selected with 56 other cultural projects, the #0528 will receive special funds from the city to further promote cultural exchanges and make Chinese stories better heard worldwide.

International forums and academic journals born in Shanghai, such as the Global Education Deans’ Forum hosted by East China Normal University and the English-language journal Law Science launched by East China University of Political Science and Law, are aiming to contribute more Chinese wisdom to the world.

Interactive entertainment company Papergames, which boasts paying users across 34 countries and is known for popular games including Infinity Nikki and Love and Deepspace, is relentlessly empowering the nation’s intangible cultural heritage with its original IPs.

Elsewhere, the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra will embark on a tour to Australia, New Zealand and Singapore from March 13 to 23, with cross-cultural musical tracks to connect with global audiences.

“Music serves as a powerful medium for cultural exchange … Through tours, we hope to enable audiences from diverse cultural backgrounds to gain a deeper understanding of Shanghai and know more about the China (of) today,” said Yu Long, the orchestra’s music director.

Contact the writers at wangxin2@chinadaily.com.cn