China's 'Impression' outdoor shows to be performed in Malaysia

Malaysians and foreign tourists to the country may soon be able to enjoy the " impression" outdoor performance from China in the historical city of Malacca, and learn the history and culture of the city through passionate songs and dancing.

The show, named "Impression Malacca" and the first of the series to be performed outside China, will be directed by a team led by Chinese director Wang Chaoge.

The show will add another tourism attraction to Malacca, benefit locals by bringing in more tourists and creating new jobs, Wang told a press conference on Sunday.

An "Impression" performance in China draws more then 3,000 audience every night, she said.

In 2003, Wang jointly created the first installment of their out-door "Impression" series, "Impression Liu Sanjie," in the mountain and river scenery of Yangshuo, a world-renowned scenic resort in south China, which proved a hit at the box office.

She was working with Zhang Yimou, one of China's ace film directors. Zhang's top-grossing films including "Red Sorghum" of Nobel prize laureate Mo Yan.

Since the debut in Yangshuo, the "Impression" shows have been brought in several of China's greatest tourism attractions, including Lijiang and Hainan.

Ng Yan Yan, Malaysia's Tourism Minister, said she was deeply impressed by the opening ceremony of 2008 Beijing Olympics directed by Zhang Yimou. She was even more impressed when she watched the "Impression" performance in Hainan.

Ng said Malaysian government will provide support for the success of "Impression Malacca", which she hoped would be put on stage by the end of 2014.

Malacca City was the capital of the Malacca Sultanate and was the center of the Malay world in the 15th and the 16th century. It was also a key transit of the maritime trade route. Zheng He, China's great navigator during the Ming Dynasty, visited the city five times with his fleet during his great expenditure. It was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008.