China News Service, Suzhou, September 29 (Reporter Zhong Sheng) In Bacheng, an ancient town in the south of the Yangtze River at night, the sound of paddles is undulating and the shadows of boats are graceful.

Suddenly, the melodious sound of the guqin flowed through the pink walls and black tiles, and the loud singing of Kunqu Opera actors immediately followed.

The 2022 Kunshan Bacheng·Chongyang Opera Festival with the theme of "Kunqu Opera Town Harmony of Qin Opera" officially opened on the evening of the 28th.

On the scene, the two intangible cultural heritages of Guqin and Kunqu Opera echoed each other, bringing a new artistic interpretation.

  Kunshan is the hometown of Kunqu Opera, the "Master of Hundred Operas".

In 2001, Kunqu Opera was listed as the first batch of "Masterpieces of Human Oral and Intangible Cultural Heritage" by UNESCO.

Over the years, Kunshan has always attached great importance to the inheritance and development of traditional folk art represented by Kunqu Opera.

  According to Fang Xuehua, Member of the Standing Committee of the Kunshan Municipal Party Committee and Minister of the Propaganda Department, the 2022 Chinese Opera Hundred Opera (Kunshan) Grand Ceremony, which closed not long ago, received more than 63 million views online and offline.

Kunshan will continue to stimulate the vitality of the excellent traditional culture represented by Kunqu Opera, prosper and develop the cultural industry industry, and will continue to care about the construction of Bacheng Kunqu Opera Town, and support Bacheng to build a highly recognizable urban cultural tourism based on its unique resource endowments A new business card, dedicated to the development of a new industry featuring Kunqu Opera that is full of artistic style.

Wujiang Hongfu Puppet Kunqu Opera Troupe brought a puppet Kunqu Opera performance.

Photo courtesy of the Party and Mass Work Bureau of Bacheng Town

  More than 600 years ago, Kunqu Opera entered the historical and cultural stage from Yushan Yaji, and gradually completed the gorgeous transformation of "Kunshan Opera predecessor - Kunshan Opera - Shuimo Opera - Kunqu Opera - Kunqu Opera" in the Bacheng area.

According to Shi Jiangang, Secretary of the Party Committee of Bacheng Town, Kunqu Opera is still deeply rooted in Bacheng even after ten years.

It has become a new fashion to listen to music in the "Kunqu Opera Corridor" and the Old Street Theater, learn music in Bacheng Old Street, and sing in Zhengyi Old Street.

This year, Bacheng, as the "Suzhou Kunqu Opera Town", was officially awarded the third batch of provincial-level characteristic towns in Jiangsu Province.

  Zhu Yehua, deputy secretary of the Bacheng Town Party Committee and mayor of Bacheng Town, said: "The 'big banner' of Kunqu Opera heritage has been handed over to us, and we must do our best to catch and take over this 'baton'. The development and inheritance of Kunqu Opera should not be put on hold, nor We should fight alone, but explore the development of 'Kunqu Opera+'."

  In order to prevent Kunqu Opera from fighting alone, the "helper" invited by Bacheng is the guqin from nearby Changshu City.

Guqin is the first of the "Four Arts". In November 2003, it was included in the second batch of "Masterpieces of Human Oral and Intangible Heritage" by UNESCO.

Among them, the Yushan Qin School, which was born in Changshu, is particularly famous.

The scene of the 2022 Kunshan Bacheng Chongyang Music Festival.

Photo courtesy of the Party and Mass Work Bureau of Bacheng Town

  At the music festival, Yu Jiulin, a national first-class actor and winner of the 23rd Drama "Plum Blossom Award", brought the Kunqu Guqin program "The Jade Hairpin·Qin Pick", and Zhu Xi, a national representative inheritor of Guqin art (Yushan Qin School), performed Guqin live Solo "Flowing Water".

The two intangible cultural heritages compete on the same stage, and the piano and music are harmonious.

  "This year, through the integration of Kunqu Opera and Guqin, the two intangible cultural heritages will be combined. This kind of intangible cultural heritage has stimulated the diverse creativity of traditional art. This more inclusive and closer approach will also allow more people. Enter the art world of Kunqu Opera and experience the beauty of traditional Chinese culture and art." Zhu Yehua said that Bacheng will also try to integrate traditional cultural elements such as bamboo flute, calligraphy, and puppet show into the performance.

(Finish)