On the Qingming Festival, Scholar Cui Hu journeyed to the southern region of the Spring City. Thirsty, he sought water from a farmer’s house, where he encountered a charming young girl named Ye Zhen’er and fell in love with her. Cui Hu couldn’t forget her beauty, and they were reunited in his dreams. Guided by these dreams, Cui Hu returned to the south of the city. However, he found the peach blossoms still blooming but the gate locked, with the girl nowhere in sight. Depressed, he wrote a heartfelt poem on the door. With regret, he left, leaving behind a famous poem that has been widely read for thousands of years. „The charming cheek among peach blossoms” is part of the repertoire of Chinese traditional opera Kunqu, which originated in the city of Suzhou in the 14th century. It is one of the oldest forms of Chinese opera still performed today. From it have come different varieties, including the famous Peking Opera. Kunqu Opera is listed as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage.
The Shanghai Kunqu Opera Troupe, established in 1978, is led by Gu Haohao currently, following in the footsteps of Yu Zhenfei, the troupe’s esteemed founder. This group has always held the preservation and transmission of Kunqu art as its guiding principle. Composed of numerous illustrious Kunqu performers, several of whom are recipients of the Plum Blossom Award of Chinese Theatre, the troupe’s current members carry on this rich artistic legacy. In 1986, the troupe was awarded the first prize for revitalizing Kunqu Opera by the Ministry of Culture of the PRC, solidifying its reputation as “the first-class troupe.” Since its inception, the troupe has staged nearly 300 traditional special shows and nearly 60 complete plays, while also fostering the creation of innovative new works. Notable productions include “Peony Pavilion,” “The Palace of Eternal Life ,” “Ban Zhao,” “Jingyang Bell,” and more. The troupe’s exceptional performances have been recognized with numerous honors, including the National Stage Art Excellent Works Project, the Wenhua Award, the Chinese Theatre Award, etc.
In Chinese with Bulgarian and English surtitles.
2 July 13:00 China Cultural Centre in Sofia ( 77 G. S. Rakovsky Str.)
A TALK BY GU HAOHAO ON THE TRADITION OF KUNQU OPERA
Gu Haohao is the vice chairman of Shanghai Literature and Art Association, chairman of Shanghai Dramatists Association, president of Shanghai Opera Art Center, director of Shanghai Kunqu Opera Troupe, Master of Fine Arts. She has won numerous awards, including the Wenhua State Best Performer Award, the Plum Blossom Theatre Award, and was named the 2016 Shanghai Inspirational Person, among others.
In 2002, Gu Haohao won the Kunqu Opera Promotion Award in the National Outstanding Performers Competition organized by the United Nations and the Ministry of Culture. In 2009, she won the Outstanding Performance Award at the Fourth China Kunqu Opera Festival. Representative works in her repertoire include “Hu Mansion”, “Legend of the White Snake”, “Princess Zhaojun”, “Jingshan Temple”, “Leifeng Pagoda” a.o.
Free entry.
The guest performance is held in cooperation with the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Bulgaria in connection with the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
