China News Service, Fuzhou, March 27th: Title: New interpretation of traditional Fujian opera, immersive improvement "attracting" young theater fans

　　Author Ye Qiuyun

　　The coconut palm strings are moving, and the pipes are sounding; the singing of banyan tunes is endless. Created and staged Fujian opera sitcoms, launched the "Yuanverse Holographic Warehouse", and created a Douyin account for online entertainment... In Fuzhou, Fujian opera with a strong "shrimp oil smell" is innovating, and the immersive experience and diversified communication make the ancient singing tunes shine. The new vitality has attracted a group of young people to enter Fujian opera.

On February 27, the Fujian opera "The Legend of the White Snake" was performed at the 2024 Ghana "Chinese Gathering at the Lantern Festival" party. Cheng Hui (middle) played the role of the White Snake in the play. (Photo courtesy of Fujian Provincial Experimental Fujian Theater)

　　Fujian Opera, also known as Fuzhou Opera, originated in the late Ming Dynasty and has a history of more than 400 years. It is the only existing opera that is sung and recited in Fuzhou dialect, and has many theater fans at home and abroad. In 2006, Fujian opera was included in the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage lists.

　　On the occasion of World Theater Day on March 27, Zhou Hong, director of the Fujian Provincial Experimental Fujian Theater and winner of the Wenhua Performance Award and Plum Blossom Award, said in an interview with a reporter from China News Service that Fujian opera, a local opera originated in the southeastern coast, has It is highly inclusive and open, just like the Fujian opera "The Legend of White Snake" that integrates classic melody with opera experience, which has a strong sense of substitution and can immerse the audience in it.

　　In February this year, more than 20 people from the Fujian Provincial Experimental Fujian Theater went to Ghana to participate in the performance of the 2024 Ghana "Chinese Gathering at the Lantern Festival" party. The original costumes were changed to Hanfu, which is popular among young people, and an immersive Fujian opera sitcom was created based on the traditional Fujian opera "The Legend of White Snake". Some of the characters' lines and opera arias in the play were performed in Mandarin and Fuzhou dialect respectively... In order to let people More people understand and fall in love with Fujian opera, and the Fujian opera "The Legend of White Snake" performed in Ghana has undergone innovative adjustments.

　　"A good play needs to draw on the strengths of others and integrate them all." Zhou Hong believes that to make a good play, it must not only be based on local themes, but also be inclusive of all rivers, so that the traditional "house opera" can be performed constantly; in the new screenwriting repertoire, it must be Use modern scientific and technological means and novel expression methods to integrate modern people's thoughts and aesthetics to meet the emotional needs of young audiences.

On March 15, 2023, an intangible cultural heritage event on campus with the theme of "Original and Colorful Relics" was held at the Sixth Central Primary School in Cangshan District, Fuzhou City, Fujian Province. Fujian opera actors performed Fujian opera for the students. Photo by reporter Zhang Bin

　　In recent years, major Fujian opera troupes in Fuzhou have promoted Fujian opera into campuses and classrooms. The Fujian Provincial Experimental Fujian Theater alone pairs up with nearly 20 universities, middle schools and primary schools every year to sow the seeds of opera art among young people through interest classes, elective courses and theme lectures.

　　Lin Huang, a post-2000s actor from the Fujian Provincial Experimental Fujian Theater, became interested in Fujian opera after being exposed to it at school and began professional studies. She said that after joining the troupe, she needed to observe the performances of her predecessors and learn and polish over and over again. “Only if you are interested can you persevere.”

On the evening of August 4, 2022, 15 outstanding young Fujian opera actors took the stage to perform the Fujian opera "Plum Plum and Jade" at the Fujian Fujian Opera Art Center. Photo by reporter Liu Kegeng

　　Fujian Provincial Experimental Fujian Theater actively builds a cooperation platform, launches "Yuanverse Holographic Warehouse", "AI Theater Tour", "Digital People's Travel Notes on Fujian Rhymes", etc., and participates in various performances integrating culture and tourism. With the advent of the all-media era, more diverse new communication models have made more people aware of Fujian opera.

　　In Fuzhou, Lin Ying, deputy director of the Fuzhou Fujian Opera Art Inheritance and Development Center, uses the Douyin and Toutiao accounts of "Fujian Opera Lin Ying-Pangdao Yilin Girl" to perform online, and has become a "Fujian Opera" with hundreds of thousands of "fans" Internet celebrity". She said that short videos have become a very important means of disseminating intangible cultural heritage, and supplemented by live broadcasts, Fujian opera can reach more young people.

　　"How can I find your singing excerpts or opera excerpts? I came across a aria from "Sansou Huanhua Temple" sung by you before. It was very touching. Thank you." Young Douyin netizen "Brother Xia" commented on Lin Ying's video. Like him, many netizens left messages in the comment area, discussing the dialect and singing in the video.

　　"I am far from being popular now, and I will continue to do it." As an inheritor of Fujian opera, Lin Ying said that more channels need to be built to let more people see Fujian opera. (over)