"Gui Street" Experience the Great Changes in Beijing amidst the Fireworks, and the Story of Fashion Food Street Comes to the Stage of Drama: Son | Ying Zun | Stage

At first glance, the name of Guijie may sound strange, but upon seeing the ancient character "Gui", it immediately reminds me of delicious food.

This is a food street with rich cultural connotations in the old city of Beijing, and also a popular internet street that brings convenience and happiness to people. Whenever the night falls, restaurants and bars standing side by side on the road emit a colorful light. Rows of large red lanterns hang high in front of the door, cars stop constantly, and guests come and go. The entire street is filled with joyful faces and emits charming laughter. That is the busiest and most down-to-earth scenery in Beijing at night, with a tangible atmosphere of imperial fireworks.

Now, a Beijing style opera called "Guijie" is associated with this culinary landmark. The wonderful story of the changes in Guijie, the careful interpretation of several leading actors, and the mature application of stage art, make the small story reflect great changes. The small characters have big minds, and the small streets reflect the big era... The strong sense of immersion, deep human emotions, and witty and humorous "Beijing dialogue" make the audience sincerely admire this play "Guijie" with only more than ten characters, and express that the play is wonderful and unexpected.

On June 17th and 18th, the original play "Guijie" by Beijing Performing Arts Group once again landed on the Beijing stage, winning applause and applause from the audience at the Tianqiao Art Center.

Guijie is located within Dongzhimen, starting from the west section of Dongzhimen Interchange on the Second Ring Road in the east and ending at the east end of Jiaodaokou East Street in the west. A one kilometer long street gathers over 100 restaurants. After more than 30 years of development, it has become a well-known restaurant street in Beijing. Its significance goes beyond the scope of catering and liquor shops, and it has a strong imprint of the times and regional characteristics.

In 2020, Beijing Performing Arts Group, which has always focused on originality, brought Guijie into the field of artistic production. Famous Beijing style screenwriter Wang Zhili, who has created TV dramas such as "Full of Love in a Courtyard" and "A Little Woman Under the Door of Zhengyang", wrote the literary script for the play "Guijie". Director Zhong Hao, screenwriter Yang Shuo, composer Dai Jinsong, stage lighting designer Ren Dongsheng, costume design designer Ji Qinna, Wen Ge, and a group of talented actors from China gathered together.

So, the story of Guijie slowly unfolded. Li Yidao, who lived in Guijie, used to be a skilled technician at a state-owned grocery store. He resigned and set up a stall at his doorstep, selling various types of breakfast based on his ancestral craft of "clear sauce meat", becoming a trendsetter of the times. Later, the first restaurant, "Jiuying Zun," opened on Guijie. The name of the restaurant was taken by Li Guohua, his son who was about to take the college entrance examination, from Tao Yuanming's "Returning and Coming". Li Yidao only hopes that his son can apply to universities in Beijing, and after graduation, he will take over the "wine making bottle" and make the "clear sauce meat" bigger.

However, Li Guohua and his classmates, along with their neighbor Jin Ling, wanted to go out of Beijing and see the forefront of reform and opening up and the larger world. They were admitted to universities in Guangzhou, and thus Li's father and son severed ties. After graduating, Li Guohua and Jin Ling stayed in Guangzhou to work. After their marriage, they opened a restaurant in Guangzhou and became a famous restaurant in Lingnan. In his spare time from work, Li Guohua also developed "clear soy sauce meat" based on his childhood dietary memory, and named the pancake he made "homesick pancake", which was popular among diners. But he did not return to his hometown for many years due to conflicts with his father. And Jin Ling's father, Jin Shouye, rented out the property in Guijie to migrant workers from Anhui and opened the "Xiaoyu Restaurant" that specializes in crayfish. Gradually, crayfish became accepted by Beijing residents, and the "Xiaoyu Restaurant" opened four chain stores in Guijie. Even so, the old Beijing people still enjoy authentic Beijing cuisine. Jin Shouye often goes to the "wine filled bottle" to eat and drink, and the two in laws constantly argue, but neither can do without the other.

The play unfolds the plot at the most recent point in time. Li Zecheng, the third generation of the Li and Jin families, who grew up in Guangzhou, returned to Beijing with a special mission. Originally, "Jiuying Zun" was facing an unprecedented crisis, with a neglected storefront and difficulties in operation. Li Zecheng gave his grandfather Li a knife with his father's "homesickness cake", and also brought his father's hope to gain his grandfather's forgiveness and work together to expand the "clear sauce meat" passed down by the Li family. On the other hand, the "Xiaoyu Restaurant" was crowded with customers, and even during peak hours, people had to queue up. When Li Zecheng heard that the "Xiaoyu Restaurant" invited everyone, he didn't want to eat the snacks made by his grandfather. The plot of contradictions and conflicts has repeatedly pushed Li Yidao's thoughts forward for twenty or thirty years... The past, present, future, family, friendship, and hometown, as well as the warmth, diligence, change, and even the confusion in the face of market changes, are vividly displayed in this simple and unadorned plot. Especially, the director has repeatedly used dialogue between two sets of related characters in parallel time and space, making the plot more cohesive, time and space condensed, yet also understandable, very friendly, and the tide of the times is still moving forward.

The three time points that flash back in the drama have unique significance for both Beijing and Guijie: 1988 was the tenth year of reform and opening up, and Guijie's first restaurant opened; In the 1998 World Cup, Beijing Guijie had its first large food stall, and the culture of late night snacks began to rise; The hosting of the 2008 Beijing Olympics marked Beijing's rapid move towards an international metropolis. Audiences find their own memories of Beijing in these scenes that resonate with the times.

"My family lives in Beijing City, located inside the Second Ring Road and on the central axis of Gulou Street, taking a bend to the east..." Amidst the serene three stringed accompaniment, the melodious and rhythmic Beijing singing style is heard, which is the fireworks flavor of the play "Guijie" and also the beloved Qingyin of the Beijing people