The musical Ah, Kuling!, set in an ancient town in Fujian province, is about hope, homesickness, friendship and love. It will debut in Fujian in June and then tour the rest of the country. Photo provided to China Daily

For Li, 51, who is known for his Broadway-style Chinese musical works, including Butterfly, Love U, Teresa and Mama, Love Me Once Again, the story was both enchanting and challenging.

The musical Ah, Kuling! will make its debut in Fuzhou in June before touring the rest of the country.

The name of the musical was borrowed from the article, Ah, Kuling!, which was written by the Chinese student Zhong and was published in the People's Daily on April 8, 1992.

When Chinese President Xi Jinping, who was then the Party secretary of Fuzhou city, read the article, he invited then 76-year-old Elizabeth to revisit her husband's childhood home, Guling.

"My previous works are full of dramatic elements and big, grand, even crazy scenes. But with Ah, Kuling!, I want to tell a story quietly and slowly. There is no dramatic conflict among the characters but the real emotion of an American who wants to go back to his home in China is touching," says Li.

Guling was discovered by missionaries in 1886 and later attracted Western diplomats, missionaries and merchants, who wanted to avoid the summer heat in Fuzhou, one of the five Chinese treaty ports after the First Opium War (1839-42).

Li visited Guling several times during the past three years and he was amazed by the welcoming local people and the historical architecture.