From August 7 to 9, 2025, the digital drama “Jingyanggang,” winner of the 2024 Busan International Arts Festival’s Double Gold Award, premiered at the National Centre for the Performing Arts of China. As the first Chinese production created by a student-led creative team to be featured at this nationally recognized art venue, it not only vividly demonstrates the Busan International Arts Festival’s cutting-edge nature but also demonstrates the dual breakthroughs of young artists on both the international stage and at top domestic platforms.
Poster for the digital drama “Jingyang Ridge”
Busan Metropolitan City Council Chairman Gold Award
Busan International Arts Festival Gold Award
Award-winning photo
Since winning two international awards, the 2024 Busan International Arts Festival Gold Award and the Busan Metropolitan City Council President’s Gold Award, Jingyang Ridge has garnered industry attention for its innovative artistic expression and profound humanistic reflections. Its premiere at the National Centre for the Performing Arts marks a significant domestic debut for the play, following its international recognition, and represents a significant boost to the NCPA’s commitment to young creative talent.
Sun Lijun, Dean of the China Animation Research Institute at the Beijing Film Academy and Chairman of the Busan International Arts Festival Organizing Committee, the production’s Artistic Director, stated, “The growth trajectory of ‘Jingyanggang’ exemplifies the Busan International Arts Festival’s philosophy of ‘discovering cutting-edge forces and connecting the global stage.’ From student creation to international award-winning productions, and finally to the National Centre for the Performing Arts, it demonstrates that outstanding youth productions can transcend levels and regions, becoming a vibrant vehicle for cultural exchange.”
The digital drama “Jingyanggang” team took a group photo with the Busan International Arts Festival jury
As the starting point for “Jingyang Ridge” to go global, the Busan International Arts Festival has always been committed to providing a fair and open platform for competition and exchange for young artists from around the world. The performance of this work at the National Centre for the Performing Arts is not only a reflection of the authority of this international award, but also a significant achievement of the festival’s efforts to connect “international recognition” with “deepening domestic development.”
In the future, the Busan International Art Festival will continue to focus on the creative power of young people. Through various forms such as competition selection, cross-border exhibitions, and academic exchanges, it will promote more works that are both innovative and culturally rich from campus to the world, and from the international stage back to the local stage for deep cultivation, injecting youthful vitality into the global art ecology.
Stills from the digital drama “Jingyang Ridge”
Judging perspective: The collision of tradition and contemporary art highlights the sharpness and depth of young people’s creations.
The Busan International Art Festival judging panel gave high praise to “Jingyang Ridge” during the 2024 work selection, believing that it “achieved a breakthrough interpretation of traditional themes from a youthful perspective, demonstrating young creators’ profound understanding of traditional culture and innovative breakthroughs in contemporary expression.”
Stills from the digital drama “Jingyang Ridge”
The play is based on the widely known Chinese story of “Slaying the Tiger on Jingyang Ridge,” but it transcends the framework of traditional heroic narratives to focus on the fate of a woman named Lian’er in feudal society. Jingyang Ridge is no longer simply a testing ground for heroes, but also symbolizes the invisible shackles of feudal ethics. The core of “Slaying the Tiger” is also transformed into a woman’s struggle for self-awareness and freedom within the constraints of her ideology.
This deconstruction and reconstruction of the classics imbues contemporary youth with profound reflections on human nature and gender equality. As the judging panel noted, “The work employs a poetic, freehand approach, enveloping a tragic core within the absurd shell of a light comedy, achieving an organic unity of thought and artistry.”
Stills from the digital drama “Jingyang Ridge”
Another highlight of “Jingyang Ridge” is its innovative use of cutting-edge technology, which aligns closely with the Busan International Arts Festival’s judging criteria of “encouraging the integration of art and technology.” The play also introduces a “highly realistic virtual human” for the first time. Through real-life scanning and AI model training, the digital character interacts with real actors on stage. This interplay of virtual and real life transforms Lian’er’s inner struggles into a tangible audiovisual experience.
The judging panel believes that this use of technology is not simply a show of skill, but rather a creative exploration that serves the advancement of the plot and the development of characters. “The interaction between the digital avatar ‘Crazy Mother’ and the real person ‘Lian’er’ constructs a narrative space that is both real and illusory, which not only strengthens the visual expression of the characters’ inner thoughts, but also breaks the spatial and temporal constraints of traditional drama, achieving the ideal state of technology empowering art.” This exploration provides new ideas for the modern expression of theatrical art and confirms the young creators’ keen sense of the cutting-edge of art.
Stills from the digital drama “Jingyang Ridge”
A representative from the organizing committee said: “The success of ‘Jingyanggang’ proves the infinite possibilities of young creative power. The art festival is not only a competitive stage, but also an incubator. Through the recognition of professional judges and the connection of international resources, we can provide promising works with a broader space for growth.”
Sun Lijun, Chairman of the Busan International Arts Festival Organizing Committee, said: “The growth trajectory of the work ‘Jingyanggang’ has also made us more firmly believe that young creators will become the core force driving artistic innovation.”
Stills from the digital drama “Jingyang Ridge”
Going forward, the Busan International Arts Festival Organizing Committee will remain committed to providing a platform for young creators worldwide to showcase and grow. We will continue to focus on youth creation, building a bridge from campus to the world for more works that combine cultural connotations and innovative spirit, allowing the power of youth to continue to shine on the global art stage.
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