Cantonese Opera comes to Beijing

The Daughter of Sanshui: The Red Turban and The Legend of the White Snake: Love, two productions by the Guangdong Cantonese Opera Institute, were staged at Beijing's Tianqiao Theater between Oct 10 and 12.

Both productions featured award-winning Cantonese Opera actress Zeng Xiaomin as lead. Zeng is also the director of the Guangdong Cantonese Opera Institute.

Around 100 students from universities including Tsinghua University and Peking University, as well as young people from Guangzhou, Hong Kong, and Macao living in Beijing, were invited to the performances, which gave them the chance to get closer to the venerable art form.

The Daughter of Sanshui: The Red Turban tells the story of women from Guangdong province, who migrated in the 1930s, and highlights their sense of self-respect, perseverance, unity, and hard work.

Cantonese Opera, which is recognized as a form of intangible cultural heritage, is a cultural symbol and the shared heritage of the people of Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao. It is a cherished connection to home for the Chinese diaspora, as well as an important window onto traditional Chinese culture for foreign audiences.

The Legend of the White Snake: Love brings the old myth to life with its blend of romance and Chinese aesthetics. The adaptation has toured some 40 cities and regions, including Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Macao, and Taipei, and has given 200 performances since 2014.