The National Theatre was opened in August 1963 by then Head of State, Yusof Ishak. Before the opening, on 16 November 1960, a bill to form the National Theatre Trust was formed to administer the theatre, promote the appreciation of the arts and foster a Malayan culture and identity. From its inception to its final performance on 15 January 1974, international performances ranging from Russian ballet, jazz, pop acts to Chinese opera and musicals such as Liu Sanjie (the main character and title of the performance in this booklet) by China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Troupe, took to the stage of the National Theatre.
