A design sketch from the outdoor show at the Bird's Nest, Attraction. [Photo/China Daily]

The iconic Bird's Nest is about to become a fantasy wonderland, an ancient Chinese garden and a futuristic metropolis. 

After a year of preparation, film director Lu Chuan will unveil the huge stage show Attraction on Sept 21 at the main stadium of the 2008 Olympic Games, the Beijing National Stadium. 

"The show incorporates Chinese elements and international styles, and will overall be a stunning visual and audio experience," says Lu, who, together with his team, has visited the United States and Macao to learn about outdoor shows. 

When Li Aiqing, president of the State-owned Assets Management Co Ltd, which is responsible for operating Beijing's Olympic venues, talked about the project with Lu, Lu was attracted by the challenge and described it as "mission impossible". 

Inspired by a love story set in the future, it incorporates elements from plays, dance, musicals, magic shows and acrobatics. 

"The whole venue will become the stage," Lu says. "More than 10,000 square-meter LEDs, along with live projections, will be used." 

Singers from Taiwan, Hong Kong and the mainland, including Alan, Tan Jing, Tan Weiwei and Kenji Wu, will take part. 

"It's an adventure crossing different cultures," says singer Alan, who is from the Tibet autonomous region and started her career in Japan. To create a dreamy and romantic scene, the big-eyed, Barbie-doll-like singer will perform with heartthrob Zhang Lunshuo - underwater. Folk singer Tan Jing will fly by wire while singing. 

(The story is revised from that by China Daily.)