Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Stage Design
Project Introduction
This project is a stage and scenographic design inspired by Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, reimagined as a contemporary performance environment rather than a direct adaptation of the film. The design translates cinematic narrative into spatial scenes, using scenography as the primary storytelling medium.
The sword functions as the core narrative device, linking characters, conflicts, and emotional transitions throughout the performance. Instead of relying on realistic reconstruction, the project adopts an abstract and symbolic approach to scene-making, allowing spaces to shift between control and freedom, restraint and release.
The design language combines the concept of liubai (intentional emptiness) from Chinese ink painting with contemporary geometric forms. Square and circular geometries are used to negotiate order, tension, and balance, introducing a modern spatial logic into a traditional visual framework.
The project is composed of a series of interconnected scenes, including the desert, bamboo forest, teahouse, escort agency courtyard, and climactic confrontation spaces. Each scene is defined by distinct spatial atmospheres and emotional tones, forming a fragmented yet continuous narrative world.
Experience Design – Stage Concept
The audience begins their journey by boarding from a small island, taking a floating theater boat toward the center of the lake. During the performance, spectators are free to move on the boat, enjoying tea or drinks while being fully immersed in the surrounding environment.
Behind the audience, the desert-themed scenes unfold on the lakeside land, creating a layered spatial relationship between water, stage, and landscape.
In the “Yu Jiaolong Leaping into Water” scene, performers physically jump into the lake, dissolving the boundary between theatrical illusion and real natural elements.
The martial arts duel takes place on a central platform above the water, allowing performers to be in close proximity to the audience. This arrangement shortens the physical and emotional distance between spectators and performers, enhancing immediacy and participation.
Concept Sketches
Digital Model
Model and Light Design
Video
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