From June 3 to 5, La Traviata by Verdi will be staged under the baton of conductors Yu Long and Yuan Ding. While this particular version of the opera, helmed by Italian director Gianfranco de Bosio, was premiered in 2001, back in 1956, La Traviata became the first Western opera that the China National Opera House performed. On Dec 24 that year, the company staged an all-Chinese production of it at Tianqiao Theater in Beijing, which was considered to be the very first Western opera performed on the Chinese mainland.

"I am thrilled to witness the historic day. I've been participating in the project from the very beginning and now our vision is fulfilled," says Li Danyang, vice-president of the company, adding that development of the outdoor space is ongoing and will eventually offer coffee shops and restaurants, making the location a vibrant, cultural hub.