Long Ma tour was the most important celebration held in 2014 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Sino-French diplomatic relations. The performance premiered from October 17 to October 19 at the Olympic Center in Beijing.

President Xi Jinping himself was present at this debut performance, which was organized by the Government of Beijing Municipality.

On the night of the premiere, the CCTV news aired the congratulatory speeches given by the President Xi Jinping and the French President François Hollande.

In his New Year speech, President Xi Jinping stated, “The Long Ma, the mechanical art installation is the product of French high-technology merged with the Chinese people’s spirit of constant self-improvement. It has a positive symbolical significance, I believe that this performance will pique the interest of the Chinese people.” 

President Hollande, in his congratulatory address, said in turn, “The Long Ma is an exquisite piece of artwork of the collaboration by a joint team of French and Chinese. With its root in Chinese history and the support of innovative technology, it will surely win the affection of the Chinese audience.”

The premiere’s opening ceremony was hosted by then Mayor of Beijing Wang Anshun and the then Minister of Culture Cai Wu, who provided “the finishing touch” in lieu of President Xi Jinping. At the closing ceremony, speeches were delivered by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius respectively. Wang Yi expressed the following: “Long Ma is a crucial symbol of China and its people. It symbolizes the perseverance and the unremitting pursuit of self-improvement, while also serving as a spiritual symbol of the Chinese people.” Fabius, in turn, said: “This performance has successfully combined the quintessence of traditional culture with modern science and technology, and symbolizes the friendship between France and China.”

The repertoire used in the premiere, Nüwa The Goddess Mending the Sky, was adapted from the mythological tales Pangu Separates the Sky from the Earth and Nüwa The Goddess Mending the Sky. This marked the spread of a brand-new urban fairytale.

Over 3 days, a total of 8 performances were held, with the premiere at the Beijing Olympic Park coming to a perfect climax, owing to a crew of more than 190 people from both China and France working together behind the scenes to help and support one another. Altogether, the premiere drew a crowd of over 300.000 people, making it a resounding success.