The Most Popular Chinese Performances
Chinese Performances
Chinese performing arts, the dance and the theatre arts of China, tied from the earliest records to religious beliefs and customs. These date to 1000 BCE, and they describe magnificently costumed male and female shamans who sang and danced to musical accompaniment, drawing the heavenly spirits down to earth through their performance.
The traditional performances in Chinese culture integrate the essence if this notion. From these performances, China expresses its wisdom as well as innovations to the world.
The Most Popular Chinese Performances
Beijing Opera
Beijing Opera or Peking Opera pinyin: Jīngjù is regarded as the national opera in China for it has a long history and a complete system of stage performance, and it also quintessence of Chinese culture in Chinese minds. It developed from Kunqu opera, Anhui opera and Han opera. Beijng opera is also regarded as the top fifth operas in china.
Beijing opera has been declared World Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization on May 18th, 2001 in Paris.
Kunqu Opera
Kunqu Opera first appeared in late Yuan Dynasty (1271A .D. -1368A .D.) some 600 years ago in the lower reaches of Yangtze River. It was one of the earliest genres of drama in China and named for its birthplace, Kunshan, near the city of Suzhou in today’s Jiangsu Province. The opera reached its heyday during the reign of emperor Qinglong in Qing Dynasty. Thanks to extensive exploration and recreation by its performers, it gradually developed into today’s Kunqu. Besides, it became one of the three components of Peking opera. Kunqu opera has been declared World Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization on May 18th, 2001 in Paris.
Sichuanese opera
It originated in the Tang dynasty when it was called”chuanxi” at that time. In the reign of Tangxianzong in 806, there was a corrupted governor in Sichuan province named Liu Pi. The Chuanxi masters had secretly created a play about Liu to show his ruthlessness and cried out for people to conduct a riot against his rule. Yet it wasn’t put on the stage publicly until later Liu had committed a bold treason. Not long after it had been released to public, it achieved a huge success and even became one of the most classic plays in Sichuanese opera’s history.
Quyi
Quyi is a general name for several hundred of speaking and singing art forms. Quyi is profoundly rooted in Chinese time-honored history and culture. In ancient times, both storytelling and comic performances were widespread and popular among not only common people, but also in the palaces and the mansions of nobility. During the Tang Dynasty (618-907), many old and new stories were created, some of them were from Buddhist scriptures and some were accompanied by folk songs. During the Song Dynasty (960AD-1279AD), the prosperity of trade and the growth of cities and urban populations speeded up the development and flourish of storytelling and other Quyi forms.
Acrobatics
Acrobatics, Chinese name is zaji, za means variety, ji means art and skill. Acrobatics is the performance of extraordinary feats of balance, agility and motor coordination. Modern acrobatics mainly depends on performer’s soft body to complete a series of highly difficult movement. It can be found in many of the performing arts and many sports. Acrobatics is most often associated with activities that make extensive use of gymnastic skills, such as circus, and gymnastics, but many other athletic activities, such as Wushu, ballet and diving may also employ elements of acrobatics. Items in Chinese acrobatics include lion dance, oral stunts, pagoda of bowls, juggling, wire walking etc.
Shadow Play
Shadow play is taken as an earliest ancestor of modern cinema; the unique artistic value makes it be reserved from the ancient time.
Performers respectively hold sticks and strings to control the characters while singing the libretto to tell the story behind the screen. The character, or we can say silhouette, is made of hard paper, buffalo and donkey hide. The silhouette is projected on a white screen as the actor or actress in this play. Then, the vivid shadow play is presented to audiences.
Performers respectively hold sticks and strings to control the characters while singing the libretto to tell the story behind the screen. The character, or we can say silhouette, is made of hard paper, buffalo and donkey hide. The silhouette is projected on a white screen as the actor or actress in this play. Then, the vivid shadow play is presented to audiences.
Dynamic Yunnan
Yunnan Impression Show, also called Dynamic Yunnan, is a grand and unique dance musical that richly depicts the strong flavor of the life of ethnic minorities in Southwest China. It tells audience about the universe, nature, culture, the pursuit for the origins of life, the praise of life and the wish for everlasting life.
