Step Into The World of Chinese Opera: Xiqu Centre Opens Its Doors

Description

Xiqu (戲曲), Chinese opera, is a performing art form integrating music, literature, martial arts and dance that reflects the traditions of Chinese aesthetics and embodies the rich heritage of Chinese arts. The different vernacular cultures have given birth to over three hundred sub-genres. In particular, Cantonese opera (粵劇) and Zangju (藏劇) were added to the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2009, and Jingju (京劇) in 2010. Hong Kong remains one of the major areas where Cantonese opera thrived since the 1950s.

Xiqu Centre, the performing arts venue with a span of 28,164 square metres and more than a thousand seats in the West Kowloon Cultural District, will open its doors on 20 January 2019. The centre is dedicated to the art form and honouring its traditional values.

To celebrate its official opening, Stage Dedication and Opening Days are set up with an array of pre-opening gala programmes:

In the Stage Dedication and Open Day Performances, the Chinese Artists Association of Hong Kong will present two hand-picked set pieces and a series of excerpts by some of the most talented local Cantonese opera artists.

Presentations by the Tea House Rising Stars Troupe introduces newcomers to Chinese traditional theatre through short excerpts that demonstrate a range of vocal and music styles which will be narrated by an expert moderator.

Apart from live performances, there will be screenings of four films produced in the heydays of Cantonese opera (the 1950s and 60s), as well as a contemporary documentary about two rising Cantonese opera actors in Hong Kong.

The pre-opening programmes also feature 60-minute Xiqu Centre Guided Tours, supplemented with multimedia elements, to enable visitors to explore the new facilities and discover more about xiqu.