An Unprecedented Performance

A doorknob jingled on the wooden gate as the audience quieted down. The sound was lonely and sad. The lights had changed to a white color that was almost transparent.

Music was played by the traditional string and woodwind instruments as a man walked through the gate.

It was Qin Guan. He was walking towards the audience as if he was strolling in a courtyard, watching the tide or appreciating a beautiful rainbow.

He was wearing red, which was the hardest color to pull off. People usually looked like bridegrooms or countrymen in it. It was very difficult for a model to pull it off on the stage.

The formal outfit was titled "succeeding in a government examination" and it was a re-imagination of a traditional costume in a more dramatic, exaggerated manner. In ancient China, successful candidates of the highest imperial examinations would parade down the streets in such outfits.