In the two prisons, more than 300 communist revolutionaries were killed before the KMT fled to Taiwan. Today, the prisons are memorial sites for communist martyrs.

"It is a totally new version of the traditional stage play," said Zhang Xiaoke, chief planner of Chongqing 1949. Introducing a unique way of viewing, the show was designed with performing spaces of 360 degrees revolving on different tracks in the theater and creating a multidimensional and immersive experience.

"It is a combination of musical drama, dance drama and opera," Zhang said. "We use international stage art to tell this awe-inspiring story of the modern era and cater to a young audience. Montage techniques are also applied."

Producer Song Xiaoping looks forward to the show becoming a cultural brand of the municipality.

"As a private entrepreneur who was born and raised in Ciqikou, I feel a responsibility to create a historical show, to present what was going on here and pay tribute to the Communist Party, which has held our motherland together by breaking free of imperialist powers and bringing its people a good and prosperous life."

The performance project, with a total investment of 800 million yuan ($123.9 million), took three years to complete.

Performances will be staged until Saturday and will open to the public in August.