Chinese director Zhang Yimou is to stage his extravagant production of Puccini's opera Turandot at the Intercontinental Baseball Stadium in Taichung City, Taiwan on March 27 and 28.

It will be the largest collaboration in history between mainland and Taiwan artists. The main crew of the Bird's Nest production of Turandot will travel to Taiwan with Zhang, including executive director Chen Weiya, soprano Yao Hong, tenor Warren Mok, baritone Tian Haojiang and conductor Janos Acs. The production will feature a chorus from the mainland's Central Opera House, the Taiwan Symphony Orchestra, and the National Taiwan Sports University will provide 300 dancers. The opera will also cast local actors from Taiwan.

Zhang Yimou will present the opera on the same scale and in the same style as he did at the Bird's Nest Olympic stadium in Beijing in October 2009.

The director promised that his production of the cross-cultural opera will give the Taiwanese audience a visual feast.

A total of 20,000 seats are available for each performance and ticket prices range from 1,200 Taiwan New Dollars (about US$37) to 12,000 Taiwan New Dollars (about US$374).