"Drama Comes from Wenzhou" Southern Opera Classic Culture Week, First Stop Entering Shanghai, Shang Changrong Valley Helps Zhang Xie's Top Scholar | Jingchai Ji | Culture
The ancestor of Baixi is Nanxi, and its hometown is in Wenzhou. On the evening of August 9th, the special performance of "Drama Comes from Wenzhou" was presented brilliantly at the Wanping Theater in Shanghai, marking the opening of the "Drama Comes from Wenzhou" 2023 Southern Opera Classic Culture Week series of activities. The performance combines various artistic forms such as Ou Opera, Yue Opera, Kun Opera, Wenzhou Drum Lyrics, Wenzhou Folk Songs, Puppetry Opera, Beijing Opera, Shanghai Opera, etc., allowing audiences in Shanghai to experience the rich local characteristics and long history and culture of Wenzhou.
The performance began in "A Dream for a Thousand Years", and the chapter of "Hometown of Southern Opera" introduces the origin and development of Southern Opera through the brilliant performances of selected passages from the four major southern operas, such as "The Story of Jingchai", "The Story of White Rabbit", "The Story of Worshiping the Moon", and "The Story of Encouraging Husband", as well as the presentation of classic plays such as Yue Opera "The Pipa" and Ou Opera "Zhang Xie Zhuangyuan". The chapter "Blooming Flowers at Four Seasons" presents a unique performance of cultural interaction between Shanghai and Wenzhou through excerpts from Peking Opera's "Selling Water", Yue Opera's "Peacock Flies Southeast", "Three Laughs", and Kunqu Opera's "Cangzhou". The large and small "Magnolias" compete to bloom, reflecting the artistic charm of traditional Chinese opera that has been passed down from generation to generation. The chapter "Tanghe Opera Rhyme" focuses on the intangible cultural heritage of Tanghe District in Wenzhou through the Wenzhou folk song "There is Poetry in the City", Wenzhou drum lyrics "Millennium Shanggang Bailu City", Wenzhou folk song "To Birds", and puppet show "Light Dance and Flying", as well as newly edited excerpts from Yue Opera "Washing Horse Bridge" and Ou Opera "Gao Ji and Wu Sanchun". The chapter "The Voice of the Times" presents excerpts from modern Yue opera "The Wind Rises", Ou opera "Lan Xiaocao", and Shanghai opera "Chen Yi in Shanghai", as well as poetry recitation "Nine Hundred Years of Dedication". It showcases the new era and new heights of traditional Chinese opera cultural workers after the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, and presents their thinking and beautiful vision for the new era through innovative literary works.
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The performance lineup is strong, with renowned artists from both regions including Shang Changrong, Gu Haohao, Chen Zhongda, Fang Rujiang, Cai Xiaoqiu, and Huang Yanwu gathered together. The organizer stated that Shanghai is a "treasure trove" for many Wenzhou people's entrepreneurial life and a "platform" for going global since the reform and opening up. According to incomplete statistics from the Wenzhou Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai, there are now over 600000 Wenzhou people starting businesses and living in Shanghai, with over 45000 businesses established. At the same time, Shanghai is an international metropolis and an important window for showcasing excellent traditional Chinese culture, providing a broader international stage for classic Southern Opera to break through boundaries and go global. The Wenzhou Municipal People's Government, in collaboration with the Shanghai Opera Art Center and the Shanghai Dramatists Association, held the "Drama Comes from Wenzhou" Southern Opera Classic Culture Week at the Wanping Theater in Shanghai from August 9th to 14th, bringing special performances of "Drama Comes from Wenzhou", performances of Ou Opera's "Persuading Husband", Yue Opera's "Jingchai Ji", Kun Opera's "Zhang Xie Zhuangyuan", and expert seminars.