KUNQU opera, China’s 600-year-old intangible cultural heritage, will reach global audiences at one of the world’s most celebrated art festivals — the Fringe — in Edinburgh, the U.K.

A China-U.K. strategic cultural promotion agreement was signed Monday between the Asian Art Fund of Scotland and the Beijing-based Northern Kunqu Opera Theater to make it happen.

During the 2022 Fringe, Kunqu opera will be presented in online performances screened at the Edinburgh venue. The China-U.K. cooperation guarantees the traditional performing art’s first front-and-center appearance at the annual European art festival that attracts more than 250,000 visitors every year.

“The online show this year is just a beginning. We will have more offline events held in the future in Edinburgh, and there will be interactions between Chinese and European artists concerning this Asian art,” said Chris Wang, the Edinburgh Kunqu opera marketing representative.

The new cultural scheme aims to launch a global festival themed “Rediscovery of Kunqu” by 2024.

Additionally, Kunqu workshops will be held in Europe and an Edinburgh Kunqu Opera Promotional Center will be built in Beijing.

The 2022 Fringe isn’t the first time that the Chinese art has been celebrated in the Western world.

In 2016, the China-U.K. co-directed Kunqu opera “Handan Dream” debuted in London to commemorate the 400th anniversary of William Shakespeare and Tang Xianzu, the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) Chinese playwright dubbed the “Asian Shakespeare.” That same year, a Kunqu opera version of “Hamlet” titled “I, Hamlet” was performed at an art festival in London. The show was later presented in Shanghai and New York.

“Kunqu opera appeals to the Western audiences because it is an epitome of many Chinese art forms such as literature, dance and poetry,” said Yang Fengyi, art director of the Northern Kunqu Opera Theater.

“The reason we seek cultural exchanges with Western artists is not to give them the Chinese script, but to have them bring their cultural interpretation and contribute to it so that they can better appreciate the Chinese art and offer something fresh,” Yang noted.

Yang recalled an unforgettable experience in 2018, when she performed the Kunqu opera version of Russia’s “Olonkho, Yakut Heroic Epos” in cities such as St. Petersburg and Moscow. This performance surprised and touched many Russian audiences.

She also noted that in return Russian Kunqu lovers performed the classic “The Peony Pavilion” by Tang Xianzu.

“When I saw them come out with a little boat I was touched. The ambience and their interpretations of the art of Kunqu opera allowed me to see its cultural significance even better.”

Originating in Kunshan, East China’s Jiangsu Province, Kunqu opera has been thought as “the origin of all Chinese operas.” It was listed as one of the Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2001.

Though the art form first started to dominate Chinese theater from the 16th to the 18th centuries, it is still inspiring to today’s audiences, especially younger audiences who are embracing the Chinese culture.

Going abroad is not the only means to promote Kunqu opera. Many Kunqu performances today have been enriching the music by adopting instruments like the violin and bass and designing more contemporary-looking costumes to lure younger audiences. Theaters like the Northern Kunqu Opera Theater have also livestreamed performances to expand their fanbase.

“Old people listen to Kunqu opera, but young people like to watch it. We need to provide new experiences,” Yang remarked.

(Global Times)