Acrobatics, a Chinese tradition dating to the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 24), are struggling to survive amid market competition, but the couple's creative ideas offered a new visual experience for audiences.

For Wu, 40, The Butterfly Lovers marked the fulfillment of a promise she made to herself. In 2003, she performed a five-minute-long piece with her husband during China Central Television's annual Spring Festival Gala, receiving warm audience acclaim. As a result, Wu decided to turn the performance into a full-length acrobatic show.

The Guangdong Music and Folk Art Troupe will close the Guangzhou Art Season, which features concerts, operas and musicals, with a local folk music concert on Oct 28 and 29. The event will also mark the 25th anniversary next month of Hong Kong's return to the motherland.

Performance companies from around China have been invited to join the event, including the China Oriental Performing Arts Group from Beijing, which will perform the popular dance drama A Panorama of Rivers and Mountains.

Chen said: "We are prepared to make some last-minute adjustments, as the situation regarding COVID-19 is unpredictable. Since the pandemic emerged in early 2020, we've learned to live with the changing situation and move forward, building a 'new normal' for the Guangzhou Opera House."