The Longma Studio Guoli Troupe, led by veteran actor and director Zhang Guoli, was launched in Pingshan District on Dec. 15. The troupe will draw on domestic and international theatrical resources for drama production, performance, training and the promotion of theater culture.

The Culture, Media, Tourism and Sports Bureau of Pingshan District signed a cooperation agreement with the troupe to help cultivate the district’s theater industry and promote Pingshan as Shenzhen’s eastern cultural hub. Zhang has also been appointed to the advisory committee of Pingshan’s cultural think tank.

Zhang Guoli (C) talks with students at a salon held at Shenzhen Pingshan Changshou Dramaville in November 2024. Photos by Xinhua unless otherwise stated.

Zhang said the team aims to establish a drama incubation base serving both the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and the nation. The troupe’s first production is already in preparation and is expected to debut in 2026.

Since Longma Studio relocated to Pingshan in August 2024, the local theater scene has flourished, attracting numerous professionals and renowned artists and injecting new vitality into the district. Early in 2024, the Pingshan-produced Chinese-language stage adaptation of “The Shawshank Redemption” drew attention as a groundbreaking work performed entirely in Chinese by a cast of foreign actors. 

Zhang Guoli (3rd L) and Russian artists from the Vakhtangov Theatre exchange ideas at Shenzhen Pingshan Changshou Dramaville in September 2025. Photo from Pingshan Media Center.

In September 2025, artists from Russia’s Vakhtangov Theatre visited Shenzhen Pingshan Changshou Dramaville for a cross-cultural exchange with local art enthusiasts. Exhibitions and drama workshops at the dramaville have also drawn residents and tourists, helping to boost nearby retail, hotel and dining businesses.

Visitors wander at Shenzhen Pingshan Changshou Dramaville in Pingshan District.