Taizhou Mei Lanfang Art Center

A Classic Revival: A rendezvous with Peking Opera and Kunqu across Time and Space on the 130th Anniversary of Mei's birth

TAIZHOU, China, Dec. 13, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- With its delicate and melodious aria, and graceful and elegant movements, Kunqu Opera, born in the waterside town of Kunshan in Jiangnan, has become one of the treasured gems of Chinese opera. Kunqu not only embodies the profound cultural heritage of China but also serves as a bridge connecting ancient and modern arts. 2024 marks the 130th anniversary of the birth of Mei Lanfang (1894-1961). Recently, the grand exhibition Radiance of Mei's Art -- Commemorating the 130th Birthday of Mei Lanfang unfolded at the Kunshan Theatre and Opera Museum, offering a multi-dimensional and immersive display of Mei's deep connection to Kunqu Opera.

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The exhibition features magnificent costumes, precious performance photos, aged playbills, and so on. Each artifact reveals the cultural significance and enduring spirit of Mei Lanfang school's contribution to the arts of Peking Opera and Kunqu.

Among the exhibits, a particularly striking piece is a costume worn by Mei Lanfang in the 1920s and 1930s during his performance of the Kunqu opera "Dream in the Deserted Garden". The costume is intricately embroidered with ten groups of floral and bird patterns, with gradient-colored threads depicting Buddhist temples and flying birds, symbolizing "the flourishing of spring" and "eternity." As a globally renowned master of Peking Opera and Kunqu, Mei Lanfang performed over 30 Kunqu plays, with "Dream in the Deserted Garden" being his longest-running and most accomplished Kunqu production.

In addition to the offline exhibition, art enthusiasts of Peking Opera and Kunqu can also enjoy a series of bilingual short videos Honoring Mei Lanfang, A Classic Revival on the "China Culture & Art" Facebook and YouTube platform. These videos allow viewers to "virtually" experience the masterpieces throughout Mei Lanfang's career. In the video series, young actors from Taizhou Mei Lanfang Art Center reproduce Mei's classic plays on the stage and opera excerpts during his visit to America, integrating with local cultural landmarks and opera elements in Taizhou, which aims to show that the new generation of Peking opera performers in Taizhou follow in the footsteps of Mei, the great arts master, admire his noble character, as well as sketch the inheritance and promotion of Mei Lanfang school, or "the art style of Mei", and the forging of a core cultural brand among the young in Taizhou.

Source: Taizhou Mei Lanfang Art Center