#China #cultural festival #Kunshan #Chinese Opera #Kunshan Opera

The 2025 Chinese Opera Festival Opens in Kunshan

On September 8, 2025, the much-anticipated Chinese Opera Festival kicked off in Kunshan, Jiangsu Province. This year’s event is especially significant as it marks a celebration of traditional Chinese opera's enduring vitality through martial arts themes. The festival is co-hosted by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism along with the Jiangsu Provincial People's Government, signifying a commitment to preserving and promoting this integral part of Chinese heritage.

A Glimpse into the Festivities

Inspiration for this festival draws from previous iterations that celebrated the classic roles within traditional Chinese opera, such as Sheng (male), Dan (female), Jing (painted face), and Chou (clown). The festival's opening ceremony dazzled attendees with a performance featuring six renowned masters showcasing martial arts scenes from Beijing Opera, specifically the excerpt titled "The Eighteen Arhats Subdue the Raptor Demon."

Running until September 20, the festival boasts an impressive lineup featuring 20 martial arts artists from across China who will partake in 10 collaborative performances. This initiative reflects both the preservation and innovative evolution of traditional Chinese opera, ensuring its relevance in contemporary culture.

Recognizing Excellence

During the opening ceremony, accolades were given to selected participants of the 2025 National Leading Talent Development Program for Chinese Opera. Additionally, institutions recognized by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism for excellence in opera production between 2020 and 2024 were celebrated, reinforcing the festival’s dedication to recognizing talent and excellence within the field.

Key Highlights of This Year’s Festival

This year’s festival revolves around five flagship programs: the exhilarating opening and closing ceremonies, a national showcase highlighting martial arts artists, special invited performances from acclaimed productions, symposiums focused on opera, and efforts aimed at preserving endangered opera forms. Furthermore, five extension programs are planned to promote cultural exchange and pervade the opera scene:
1. “Watch Opera, Visit Jiangsu” - a cultural tourism campaign to attract opera enthusiasts.
2. A special exhibition at the Chinese Opera Museum.
3. A traditional opera cultural market.
4. Launching a digital promotion platform to reach wider audiences.

Overall, the festival will feature 39 performances with 107 productions spanning 53 troupes, showcasing 31 distinct opera traditions. The events will occur at various venues, including historic cities, museums, theaters, universities, and scenic sites, offering attendees immersive cultural experiences.

The Legacy of Kunshan

Kunshan is celebrated as the birthplace of Kunqu, the oldest form of Chinese opera. This year signifies the seventh consecutive time the city has hosted the festival. A new three-year action plan has been initiated to chart the future direction of the festival. Since 2018, the festival has successfully featured 348 genres of opera, including puppetry and shadow theater, and attracted significant audiences, both in-person and online. By uniting 494 organizations, the festival orchestrated 295 performances and presented 606 excerpts, drawing numerous attendees and underscoring the community's enthusiasm for this age-old art form that continuously adapts to modern tastes.

In conclusion, the 2025 Chinese Opera Festival encapsulates the essence of cultural pride and the determination to sustain traditional arts amidst a rapidly changing cultural landscape. It invites everyone to appreciate, participate in, and celebrate the rich legacy of Chinese opera, ensuring its vitality for generations to come.