The play, From West to East, which is about the ups and downs of the century-old Beijing hotpot restaurant Dong Lai Shun, premiered in Beijing on Sept 15.

With a creative team including veteran scriptwriter Zhang Heping, and director Lang Kun, the play tells the story of Ding Deshan, who founded the restaurant in 1903. Starting from a small booth in Dong'an market, a commercial area located along Wangfujing Street, his restaurant became famous for its distinctive copper pots, thinly sliced strips of mutton and sugar garlic.