Hunan Kunqu Opera Troupe was invited to the “Kunqu Art Week” activity in the National Center for the Performing Arts (NCPA), Beijing, on March 3.
The activity is co-sponsored by the NCPA and Beijing Municipal Culture Bureau, lasting from Feb 27 to March 19. Seven major Kunqu Opera troupes of China will show their drama masterpieces with distinguishing features in succession, fully unfolding the elegance of Kunqu Opera before audiences’ eyes.
The Hunan Kunqu Opera Troupe performed the Peony Pavilion during the art week, a well-known play written by Tang Xianzu in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and has traditionally been performed as a Kunqu opera.
The troupe, based in the Chenzhou city of Central China’s Hunan province, is one of the seven major Kunqu Opera troupes of China. It was listed as a National-level Art Performing Group by the Ministry of Culture in 2000.
Over more than 50 years since its establishment, Hunan Kunqu Opera Troupe have explored, sorted out and created more than 60 large-scale dramas, and over 100 opera highlights.
Kunqu is one of the oldest extant forms of Chinese opera originated in the Wu cultural area. It is listed as one of the Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO since 2001.
Reported by Xu Wei
