In 1964, an opera, Jiang Jie, based on Jiang's story, premiered in Beijing and became popular with a wide audience. When the National Center for the Performing Arts adapted the opera into a new version in 2017, Wang, then a 25-year-old singer, who had recently graduated from university and had won a top national music award, was chosen to play the titular role. To date, she has performed the role more than 100 times.

According to the producer, Gao Jingyu, the musical appeals to a range of audiences, especially young people, for its diversity of musical elements, including rock, folk and pop music.