THE dance drama, Along theSilk Road, returned to the Beijing stage for the 2003 Chinese New Year celebrations, to as enthusiastic a receptionas when it was first performed 24years ago. Set in the heyday of theTang Dynasty, the drama celebrates the grotto art of Dunhuang and gorgeous Tang finery. With the ancient Silk Road as a back-drop, its stories extol the love, humanity, and friendship of this essentially open era.