Eileen Chang's classic novella, Love in a Fallen City, has long captivated readers with its delicate portrayal of love and social tension in 1940s Shanghai and Hong Kong.

The protagonist, Bai Liusu, a divorcee, returns to her family's declining Shanghai home, scorned by relatives who see her as a burden. Determined to secure a proper marriage, she sets her sights on Fan Liuyuan, a wealthy, charming bachelor recently returned from Britain. Following him to Hong Kong, Bai's hopes of legitimacy falter — until war erupts. As the city falls, Fan is trapped and returns to her side. In the chaos, the unlikely pair discover a love far stronger than status, wealth, or family approval — a love forged in a fallen city.

The novella has inspired countless adaptations for stage and screen over the years. Five years ago, Oscar-winning artist Tim Yip reimagined the work for the theater, serving as both director and visual director.

Now, the production returns in a new fifth-anniversary version that will tour six Chinese cities, including Guangzhou, Beijing and Chengdu, during May and June, bringing the two protagonists — Bai, a woman navigating the precariousness of her social standing, and Fan, a charming, worldly man, to life again.

For scriptwriter Xu Junying, the enduring relevance of the novella lies in how closely its emotional conflicts still resonate today.

"Eighty years after Eileen Chang wrote it, we still feel the need to retell it. Have women's circumstances really changed? If so, how much? Is war still a daily reality for some? Are they still facing the same challenges in war?" Xu says. "When we raise these questions, all of a sudden, we realize Bai Liusu is not that far from us. Her dilemmas are specific to her time, but they can also resonate with us," says Xu, a "devoted fan of Chang".

Xu notes that the novella emerged directly from the instability of its historical moment. Chang wrote the work during the Japanese occupation of Shanghai and Hong Kong, drawing on her own experience growing up in a declining aristocratic household marked by emotional tension and instability. Those experiences, Xu says, gave the writer an unusually sharp understanding of how money, class and gender shape human relationships.

"Her historical view is fundamentally unsentimental: she sees the absurdity of trying to plan a future when the world can collapse overnight. That perspective turns Love in a Fallen City into a subtle critique of both traditional family bonds and romantic idealism," the scriptwriter says. "The key is to trust that her words are strong enough, and then to give them space to breathe on stage through physicality, light, and silence."

The new production expands on that vision through an international creative collaboration. British directors Tim Supple and Melly Still joined the creative team, bringing distinct theatrical approaches to the adaptation while remaining rooted in Chang's emotional world.

At the center of the stage stands the production's most striking visual element: a three-story rotating set that carries the audience and the story itself through the shifting landscapes of a city on the brink.

During one sequence, Bai, played by actress Zhu Jiejing, appears poised yet uncertain on the middle tier of the rotating structure, while Fan, portrayed by actor Qiao Zhenyu, descends from above against projected city lights. The movement of the set mirrors the rhythm of their relationship — hesitant approaches, emotional misreadings and moments of irresistible attraction. The constant motion also emphasizes the social and emotional distances both characters struggle to overcome.

"The main thing that we want to tell is this wonderful, sensitive, special story," Supple says. "We want to give it life in theater. We want to convey her story alive. What that means to the audience is up to each individual spectator."

Supple is a renowned theater director who formerly served as artistic director of London's Young Vic Theatre. He has directed numerous productions for the Royal Shakespeare Company and has collaborated twice with China's National Centre for the Performing Arts on Shakespeare's The Tempest.

Still is an Olivier and Tony Award-nominated director whose work often combines directing, choreography, and design. Her productions have been presented at the Royal Shakespeare Company, and on Broadway, earning acclaim for their imaginative and multidisciplinary approach.

"It feels to us very much like a story about human beings. We want to break through the masks of convention. That's what drives the story, drives the drama; these two people trying to unravel each other, so that they can understand the point of living," says Still. "The writer does it so beautifully in the novel the way she does with words. And we do it with theater, and sometimes the theater takes on different forms. It's not just about appearance. Human beings are not always beautiful inside. They are full and rich."

Supple reflects on what the story reveals: "These two characters, for many reasons, like many of us, are struggling to express the fact that they are so special. But they discover in the end that love, real love, is only shared when they accept that they are ordinary. The war, the fallen city of Hong Kong, stripped them of the things that make them feel they can be special. In a war, it doesn't matter that he is rich. It doesn't matter that she comes from an old, important family. Once they accept they are ordinary, they can really love."

That emotional shift is reflected in the performances themselves, which balance restraint with intensity. Bai's vulnerability is often expressed quietly, through hesitation and emotional restraint rather than dramatic outbursts, while Fan's polished confidence gradually reveals deeper loneliness and uncertainty. Together, the actors portray a relationship shaped not only by attraction, but by mutual recognition during a moment of historical collapse.

For Zhu, the role also marks a significant personal transition. Best known as a principal dancer with the Shanghai Dance Theater, she is making her theatrical acting debut in the production after earning acclaim and national awards for her performances in dance dramas.

She describes Bai as a woman who is "emotionally sensitive and rebellious", a woman constantly negotiating between personal desire and social expectation.

"Dancers are often trained to express through movement rather than words. Delivering lines with clarity, emotional nuance, and projection can feel unfamiliar," she says of the challenge of taking on the role. "I need to learn diction, timing, and the subtle art of using voice to convey inner states — not just external movement."

Contact the writer at chennan@chinadaily.com.cn