Some people say that Suzhou people have "living fossils" in their mouths, because Suzhou dialect is one of the representatives of Wu culture. In Kunshan, Kunqu opera is not only a "living fossil", but also a masterpiece of human oral and intangible heritage!
On 18 May 2001, UNESCO announced in Paris the first list of "Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Mankind" (hereinafter referred to as "Masterpieces"), with a total of 19 nominations, including Chinese Kunqu art, making China one of the 19 countries to receive this award for the first time.
Kunqu opera, which originated in Kunshan, Jiangsu Province, which has a history of more than 600 years, is known as "the ancestor of a hundred operas, the master of a hundred operas", and many local dramas, such as Jin opera, Pu opera, Shangdang opera, Xiang opera, Sichuan opera, Gan opera, Gui opera, Yong opera, Yue opera and Guangdong Cantonese opera, Min opera, Wu opera, Dian opera, etc., have been nurtured and nourished by kun opera art in many aspects, so it is also known as an "orchid" in the hundred gardens.
In the long-term performance practice of Kunqu Opera, it has accumulated a large number of staged plays. Among them, influential and frequently performed plays such as: Wang Shizhen's "Ming Feng Ji", Tang Xianzu's "Peony Pavilion", "Zi Chao Ji", "Handan Yan Ji", "Nan Ke Ji", Shen Jing's "YiXia Ji" and so on. Gao Lian's "The Book of Jade Hairpins", Li Yu's "Kite Mistake", Zhu Suchen's "Fifteen Guan", Kong Shangren's "Peach Blossom Fan", Hong Sheng's "Hall of Eternal Life", and some famous folding plays, such as "Garden Frightening Dreams", "Yang Guan", "Three Drunks", "Qiu Jiang", "Si Fan", "Broken Bridge" and so on.
In this year's Xiqu Hundred Opera (Kunshan) Festival, there will also be a lot of classic opera interpretations, "Peony Pavilion", "The Legend of the White Snake", "Lu You and Tang Wan", "Changshanpo", "Huarong Dao", "Zhao Orphan", "Visiting Rat Characters", "Mr. Bai Teaching", "Bai Luo Shirt", various types, various styles, you want to see so much, decide which one to choose?
We are waiting for you at the 2021 Xiqu Hundred Opera (Kunshan) Festival!