The dance Butterfly Lovers, adapted from a well-known love story acclaimed as China's answer to Romeo and Juliet, is set for a 16-day performance tour of major cities in the United States.

The tragic love story of Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai, who lived in the Eastern Jin Dynasty some 1,700 years ago, is part of the Image China 2010 program which seeks to introduce traditional Chinese values through classic dances. The tour will also include three other dances of ancient China.

Image China was established by the China Art and Entertainment Group in 2008, and has successfully launched a series of performances such as the Chinese New Year Concert 2009 at the Kennedy Center, New York, and a Kunqu Opera tour in Germany and France.