Have you ever looked at the night sky and asked your mother about Chang O's life on the moon with her little white rabbit? No? Well, you don't have to, because Hong Kong Children's Theatre is preparing to show just what the mythical character from the Chinese fairy tale might be doing today. Inspired by China's first man in space, astronaut Yang Liwei , the theatre's artistic director, Justine Woo Po-sau, decided to write a musical - Princess Luna - which is this year's major summer production. While Yang is famous for circling the Earth for 21 hours last year, Chang O has been in the heavens - and the minds of Chinese people - for thousands of years. Woo said although the story of Chang O flying to the moon with her little white rabbit might be familiar among the older generations, many of today's youngsters do not know about it. 'Most Hong Kong people do not know or understand Chinese history clearly. Children study at international schools and speak English at home. They listen to pop music and learn rap-talk rather than Chinese culture,' Woo added. The performance is timely, as it is prior to the Mid-Autumn Festival - which celebrates the legend of Chang O - on September 28. Woo's version of the fairy tale has astronauts helping a seven-year-old girl named Hei Yee - who wants her parents to spend more time with her - to meet Chang O on the moon. In return, Hei Yee leads Chang O - who has lived on the lunar planet for thousands of years - back to Earth to reunite with her husband whom she misses very much. There will be two shows of the hour-long play, which will be performed by more than 250 actors aged three to 12, on Saturday at Hong Kong City Hall. The actors have been rehearsing for more than a month. 'The children neither knew how to listen to the other actors' story lines nor understood the importance of communicating with each other,' said Woo. 'We have had to teach them how to immerse themselves in the characters. Only by doing this will their performance have real feelings.' Understanding the characters has not been easy for the children. Chan Lok-wun, 11, who plays Chang O, said: 'The personality of Chang O is complicated. Adult feelings are hard for me to understand.' But the drama teachers have succeeded in boosting the confidence of the young actors, resulting in vibrant rehearsals. Woo said children had fewer inhibitions than adults, and therefore, could give very natural performances. 'The child playing a Filipina maid suddenly burst into tears during rehearsals. She said she felt sympathy for her character,' Woo said. She hopes the audience would enjoy the play and gain a deeper understanding of Chinese culture. For more information on Princess Luna, check out the website www.cmt.org.hk