To Wang and his colleagues' profound disappointment, the experimentation movement culminated in 1988 with the drama Recollections of Mulberry Village before fading away in the early 1990s. "With the receding tide, many dramatists paid too much attention to the form instead of the essence of the arts. They claimed to make experimental drama, but what they cared about more was money, which goes against the critical spirit of this form."

Throughout the 1990s, the Chinese arts were confronted by a new master: the market. The number of government-sponsored drama theaters fell from around 200 to less than 100. Wang believes this could be partly attributed to a new policy of "no money, no existence" introduced in 1998. Small theaters with low audience numbers were squarely removed from the list.

But the stubborn Wang has stuck to his quest for "humanity's struggle in a predicament", a central theme dating back to the thriving 1980s. One of his favorite works is British playwright Michael Frayn's Copenhagen, which centers on German nuclear scientist Werner Heisenberg's visit to his teacher Niels Bohr during World War II.

"The drama examines a scientist's position as war approaches. Is it morally acceptable or not to fight for his motherland and commit crimes against humanity by the invention and application of nuclear bombs?" Wang asks.

But for Cui, Guan and their young fellows, the arts no longer carry such heavy concepts.

Since they started to appreciate arts in 2001, the young couple has developed an interest in all the arts, including college theater, installations, independent documentary movies, or rock-and-roll bands.

"We like to experience new and amusing things," says Guan, a marketing specialist with a local IT company.

In 2006, they set up a group named Elvita and V's Scratchpad on www.douban.com, a popular Chinese website dedicated to the sharing of books, DVDs, music and films. They compile listings of all the arts events in Beijing and send out free weekly and monthly e-mails and bulletin board postings to its 8,000 members.

More than eighty percent of the members are college students and young professionals. "It's enjoyable to provide convenience and options to those interested in arts," Guan says.

"In terms of the arts, China is in its prime," he says. "Looking back at the past eight years, it's developed from idealism to realism or industrialization, which is a good thing. Chinese artists have managed to find a balance between the quality of performance and market success. They have come to rely on their senses and gradually matured."

The 798 Art Zone in east Beijing, where modern galleries and art studios sprawl on a former wireless factory, exemplifies this attitude.

Another success story is Xi Yao Tang, the first private drama studio established in Beijing in 2005. Targeting young audiences, the company chooses light topics or comedies such as white collar romance in big cities. How Much Love Can Be Wasted, a small-theater drama, has been shown more than 200 times since its debut in 2005, exceeding most of the NTCC's works.

Guan, who majored in law, also envisions making the scratchpad into a commercial product "if the proper time and resources are there".

More meaningful for the couple is the 'freedom to choose'. "One's happiness has nothing to do with the outside world and the Chinese artists are free to express themselves, without shackles," Cui says.

But for director Wang, the context of 'diversified culture' is still elusive. "Amusement is the focus these days, while the deep meaning of drama is neglected by the majority. The authorities have yet to introduce a flexible mechanism, and differentiate non-profit, serious-themed dramas from commercial shows. "

But the hotbed of cultural renaissance has come into being, observes Liu Jun'ning, a scholar with the Institute of Chinese Culture affiliated with the Ministry of Culture. The market economy, a growing emphasis on personal value and a freer space are all the positive factors for the booming arts, he says.

"The globalization brought about by internet and market economy is pushing forward China's link with the world, thus paving the way for the Chinese going much deeper inside and further outside in terms of their mindset," he says. "A new humanitarian movement is just knocking at the door."

(Xinhua News Agency October 5, 2008)