Huangmei Opera

In the dazzling starry sky of Chinese opera, Huangmei Opera is like a warm and dazzling pearl, beloved by audiences for its melodious and soothing tunes, exquisite and touching performances, and strong sense of daily life. In 2006, Huangmei Opera was approved by the State Council to be included in the first batch of the National Intangible Cultural Heritage list, carrying profound historical and cultural heritage. Today, let's step into the world of Huangmei Opera together and explore its unique charm.

Origin: From a Rustic Ditty to a Pearl of Opera

Huangmei Opera, originally named "Huangmei Tune" or "Tea-picking Opera," originated from the folk tea-picking songs in Huangmei, Hubei. It later flourished in the Anqing region of Anhui. As early as the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, the tea-picking tunes of Huangmei County were widely spread in the adjacent areas of Hubei, Anhui, and Jiangxi provinces. Over time, it integrated with local folk arts and gradually developed into Huangmei Opera with a unique style. From its humble beginnings as a rustic ditty sung in fields, streets, and alleys to its current status as a classic opera performed on grand stages, the development journey of Huangmei Opera is full of legendary tales.

Melodious Singing, Exquisite Performance

The singing style of Huangmei Opera is beautiful and melodious, rich and diverse, mainly divided into three major categories: Coloratura, Color tune, and Principal tune. Coloratura is lively and upbeat, imbued with a strong sense of life, and often used in short plays. Color tune features beautiful melodies and a bright rhythm, mostly employed in narrative-heavy singing passages. Principal tune, on the other hand, is the main singing style of Huangmei Opera's full-length plays, solemn and elegant, with profound emotions.

In addition to its singing style, Huangmei Opera's performances are also highly distinctive. Through delicate movements, vivid expressions, and sincere emotions, actors bring to life a series of vibrant characters on stage. Whether it's the steadfast love between Dong Yong and the Seventh Fairy in "The Heavenly Match" or the wit and bravery of Feng Suzhen in "Emperor's Female Son-in-law" the actors portray them to the fullest, making the audience feel as if they are in the scene, experiencing the joys and sorrows of the characters.

Upholding Integrity and InnovatingPassing on the Torch from Generation to Generation

As a double winner of China's "Plum Blossom Award" for Theatre and the Wenhua Performance Award, and one of the "Five Golden Flowers" of Huangmei Opera, Yang Jun has been pioneering new life for Huangmei Opera with a commitment to innovation and change since she settled in Hubei from Anhui in the 1990s. While adhering to the essence of classic repertoires such as "The Heavenly Match" and "Emperor's Female Son-in-law", she boldly pushed beyond regional cultural boundaries – incorporating West Hubei Tujia wedding lament songs into "The Girl Wants to Cross the River" to create the first Huangmei Opera musical with song and dance; She combined the revolutionary-themed play The Party's Daughter with modern stage technology, using holographic projection to bring back the memories of the Red Army; and the newly-composed historical drama "Dancing Robes" pioneered the "opera + cultural relic revitalization" model, transforming the designs on the Zeng Houyi chimes into costume design language. These explorations have elevated Huangmei Opera from a traditional folk ditty to a comprehensive stage art with contemporary appeal, and her works have toured 23 countries across three continents.

Under the leadership of artists like Yang Jun, Huangmei Opera is forming a dual tradition of tradition and innovation: seven major opera academies across the country have opened specialized Huangmei Opera classes, and 98 private opera troupes have achieved market viability through "intangible cultural heritage + cultural tourism." Newly created repertoires such as "The Woman from Huizhou" have won the Cao Yu Script Award. As Yang Jun said, "When Huangmei Opera can flow in the dialects and slang of the fields and villages, and can also thrive in the light and technology of modern theaters, this art form can truly live in the present."

A New Chapter for Opera, with a Promising Future Ahead

Nowadays, Huangmei Opera has gone beyond national borders and become an important ambassador for spreading Chinese culture. On the international stage, Huangmei Opera has won the love and praise of many foreign audiences with its unique artistic charm. I believe that with the joint efforts of the vast number of Huangmei Opera practitioners and enthusiasts, this national intangible cultural heritage, Huangmei Opera, will surely shine more brilliantly in the new era and become a dazzling and everlasting pearl in the treasure trove of Chinese culture.