NCPA Traditional Chinese Operas as Intangible Cultural Heritages Series is a brand-new traditional Chinese opera programme launched by the NCPA in 2019, designed to showcase and perform traditional Chinese opera art in distinctive intangible cultural heritage. Meanwhile, it aims to explore and promote traditional Chinese opera art while carrying forward the traditional culture of China so as to display the unique charm to a wider audience. In the summer season of the NCPA, five Chinese opera troupes will appear to give 10 performances of traditional Chinese opera that has been listed as an intangible cultural heritage.

Still of Excerpts of Peking Operas

As early as 2001, the Kunqu Opera was proclaimed a “masterpiece of the oral and intangible cultural heritage of humanity” by UNESCO. Later in 2010, the Peking Opera was also proclaimed a “masterpiece of the world intangible cultural heritage”. Some local operas, such as the Hebei Bangzi Opera and Shijiazhuang Sixian Opera, were put on the first list of national intangible cultural heritage with the approval of the State Council in 2006. In the upcoming Series, frequently performed pieces of the Peking Opera and Kunqu Opera, as well as local operas that have also been named intangible cultural heritage but rarely seen in Beijing, will also be put on stage.

Still of Homesickness


Still of Taming of the Princess

 

On May 22^nd, the Series will be kicked off with a special performance of the MEI School’s highlights, including Imperial Concubine YANG, The Universal Pagoda and Lady General Mu Takes Command, followed by a gala of Peking Opera under the theme of “ MEI School’s Charms” on May 23^rd.The disciples and followers of the MEI School will get together to jointly mark the 125^th anniversary of the birth of master MEI Lanfang. From June 5^th to 6^th, the Northern Kunqu Opera Theatre will appear with Kunqu Opera Homesickness, an eternal legend about SU Wu, a personage in the Han Dynasty. Famous Kunqu Opera artists YUAN Guoliang and WENG Jiahui will play leading roles. From June 27^th to 28^th, the Beijing Hebei Bangzi Opera Troupe will stage Taming of the Princess, which will be performed by national first-class artists GUO Yanfu, YANG Xiuqin and JIN Minhe to act out a classic story that Tang emperor’s son-in-law thrashes his wife, a princess, with anger.

Still of The Peony Pavilion

From August 6^th to 7^th, the Yunnan Peking Opera Theatre will stage an abridgment of Kunqu opera The Peony Pavilion. Produced with famous Kunqu Opera artist SHEN Shihua as opera director and NIU Biao as opera advisor, The Peony Pavilion will star LI Jing and ZHU Fu, disciples of SHEN Shihua, to retell the peerless story of love between DU Liniang and LIU Mengmei written by TANG Xianzu of Yuan Dynasty. From August 22^nd to 23^rd, the Shijiazhuang Sixian Opera Troupe will perform The Lost Seal and WEI Zheng of the Tang Dynasty. The Shijiazhuang Sixian Opera, also known as Xian Tune, is a traditional local opera of Hebei Province, derived from popular tunes of the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Starring ZHANG Shugai, The Lost Seal tells a story about the supervisory censor HE Wenxiu and his old servant seizing back the empty seal box cleverly, upholding justice. WEI Zheng of the Tang Dynasty, which will star KANG Jiale and ZHANG Shugai, tells a historical story about Emperor Taizong of Tang, a wise king, and WEI Zheng, a sagacious minister, working hard together, flourishing the Tang Dynasty during the “Zhenguan Period”.