File photo shows that a performer plays in "Princess Wencheng", an opera based on the life of a Tang Dynasty (618-907) princess, in Lhasa, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, June 1, 2020. (Xinhua/Zhan Yan)

LHASA, April 10 (Xinhua) -- An outdoor opera based on the life of a Tang Dynasty (618-907) princess kicked off its ninth-year performance on Saturday in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region.

"Princess Wencheng" was first staged in Lhasa, the capital of Tibet, in 2013, and has been an important tourist attraction since, alongside other destinations such as the Potala Palace and Jokhang Temple.

The 90-minute opera tells the story of Princess Wencheng, who came all the way from Chang'an (today's city of Xi'an) to marry Tibetan King Songtsen Gampo over 1,300 years ago.

Since its debut, more than 1,300 performances of the opera have been staged, attracting over 3 million people and generating tourism revenues of approximately 1 billion yuan (about 153 million U.S. dollars), according to the organizers.

The opera, which is usually staged from April to October each year, opened on June 1 last year due to the COVID-19 epidemic.