国内英语新闻:Foreign diplomats, reporters watch epic gala in Beijing

BEIJING, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- Some foreign diplomats and journalists based in Beijing Sunday were invited to watch Road of Rejuvenation, a music-and-dance epic highlighting China's twists and turns in the past 170 years.

The gala at the National Center for the Performing Arts (NCPA) was presented by more than 1,000 performers, featuring China's modern and contemporary history with chorus, dances, and stage screens.

Iwona Rogacka-Hu, an officer with the Embassy of the Republic of Poland, said every step of the country's progress was presented clearly in the epic gala and she was moved by the themes of the mother and motherland.

Peter A. Fischer, a Swiss correspondent with Zurich Times (NZZ) Beijing Office, said he saw many battles and difficult times in China's modern history through the show.

"I hope these will never come again, and China will grow more prosperous and open further up," Fischer said.

The gala was produced to mark the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China in October 2009. It debuted in Beijing on Sept. 20 last year.

Zhang Jigang, director of the show, said so far 40 performances had been staged at the NCPA, and there are 40 more to go.

"The tickets for the upcoming shows have been sold out," said Wang Zhengming, vice president of the NCPA.

Zhang said the gala had been filmed and would be available in cinemas soon.