Cao Zhen

caozhen0806@126.com

BEIJING opera, the centuries-old Chinese art form that combines music, dance, literature, acrobatics and vocal performance, again proved that it is still attracting loyal fans of all ages when the First Troupe of China National Peking Opera Company sold out five days of performances in Shenzhen.

From inviting locals to join its press conference at modern shopping mall UpperHills on Oct. 30 to holding free events over the weekend presenting Beijing opera knowledge to the public, and from giving free tickets through Futian District’s event WeChat account to selling low-priced tickets to fans, the second Futian Beijing Opera Art Festival made every possible way to promote traditional Chinese culture and provided Shenzhen audience members with quality shows and affordable tickets.

With financial support from Futian District’s special funds for promoting cultural and sports development, the festival, held Oct. 31 to yesterday, was hosted by the Publicity Department of the Futian District Committee of the CPC and the Futian Public Culture and Sports Development Center and organized by local ticketing and performance company AC Orange.

The five days of shows, held at Futian Auditorium and Shenzhen Grand Theater, featured classic Beijing opera dramas such as “The Red-Haired Galloping Horse,” “Dragon and Phoenix” and “The Return of the Phoenix” by esteemed performance artists Yu Kuizhi, Li Shengsu and more. Yu, a leading artist playing the “laosheng” (old man) role, is the artistic director of the China National Peking Opera Company, while Li, a “dan” (woman) performer, is the director of the company’s first troupe. The duo, favored by Beijing opera fans of all ages, also sang new Beijing opera song “Bright Moon Shines Over Futian” and several encores for their die-hard fans.