Kunqu Opera. Learnt from our Chinese friends about the Opera culture in Kunshan. Oldest in the China

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Kun Opera or Kunqu Opera is one of the oldest forms of Chinese opera. It originated in the Kunshan-Taicang Area of Suzhou and boasts a history of about 600 years. It evolved from Kunshan Qiang or Kunshan Singing Technique in the late Yuan Dynasty and the early Ming Dynasty. During the mid-Ming Dynasty, the singing technique is transformed by Wei Liangfu into a tune called Shuimo Diao (water-polished music). The performance of Kunqu combines poetry, music, song, dance into an integral whole and is known as the “teacher or ancestor of a hundred operas” in China. Kunqu Opera is listed as one of the three classic operas of the world. In 2001, UNESCO proclaimed Kunqu as a "Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity”. Over its long-term practice, there are many repertoires that continue to be played today, such as A Story of the Screaming Phoenix(Wang Shizhen), The Peony Pavilion, The Purple Hairpin, The Dream in Handan, The Nanke Dream(Tang Xianzu), The Romance of the Cavaliers(Shen Jing), A Story of the Jade Hairpin(Gao Lian), The Kite (Li Yu), Fifteen Strings of Cash(Zhu Suchen), The Peach Blossom Fan (Kong Shangren), and The Palace of Long Life (Hong Sheng). Troupes often perform highlights from operas rather than a complete Kunqu Opera. Among the most common are Travelling in the Garden, Yuanguan, Getting Tipsy Three Times, River in Autumn, Longing for Earthliness, and Broken Bridge.

Source: Suzhou Municipal People's GovernmentPublisher: Suzhou Municipal People's Government