Kezhi Garden hosts an operatic spectacle
The 2024 Haipai (Shanghai-style) Opera Fantasy was staged on November 16 at Kezhi Garden, an elegant Jiangnan-style garden in Zhujiajiao water town, providing the audience with a visual feast.
It brought together Chinese opera and cultural experts to pay tribute to the classics with performances in guofeng (China-chic) rock, electronic music and R&B.
As the gongs and drums rang out, Kunqu Opera performer Zhang Jun’s presentation began in front of a bamboo forest, stone bridge, pavilion and tower, providing an audio-visual feast that combined traditional and modern Eastern and Western musical elements.
Amidst the gongs and drums, Kunqu Opera performer Zhang Jun (third from left, front row) delivered an audio-visual feast that blended traditional and modern Eastern and Western musical elements at the opening of the 2024 “Most Jiangnan” guochao month.
The performance was a vivid exhibition of haipai culture, while the fantasy was a discussion with the world, kicking off the 2024 “Most Jiangnan” guochao month. It is the district’s most recent initiative to promote tourism through culture and to foster the integrated growth of culture, business and tourism through traditional Chinese opera.
Millions of people watched the opening ceremony live on Bilibili, the WeChat accounts of the Qingpu District government and the Qingpu Culture and Tourism Administration, among other online platforms.
Traditional Chinese opera performances will be staged during the month. At the Apo Tea House, you can hear the arias from the classics “The Peony Pavilion” and “The Story of the Jade Hairpin.” There will be pop-up performances in traditional sculling boats and along the Fangsheng Bridge.
The guochao month runs until December 8, offering a chance to experience Qingpu's autumn romance.
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