CICG Center for Asia and Pacific and the China Theatre Association promote opera through innovation

Beijing, China, May 27, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE via SEAPRWire.com) — Chinese Opera is a treasure of Chinese culture. The series of digital art collections of “Xi Gu Chao Xin”  jointly created by the CICG Center for Asia and Pacific and the China Theatre Association aims to make the traditional Chinese opera art get innovative promotion and inheritance in the virtual space, explore the expression ways of Chinese opera culture in the new era, and find a new way for opera to connect young people.

What would happen when the metaverse meets traditional Chinese opera? People could enjoy classical arias of Chinese opera like The Ruse of the Empty City and The Drunken Beauty in a futuristic city, Lady General Hua Mulan and A Petty Official in a punk world, and TheLegend of the White Snake and Lady General Mu Guiying in a spacecraft. A recently launched Chinese-opera-themed non-fungible token (NFT) series offers people such an experience. Collectively known as “Xi Gu Chao Xin,” which loosely translates as “Traditional Opera Back in Vogue,” the NFT products aim to make traditional Chinese opera trendy again.

The digital art collection features six arias of traditional Chinese opera, which are rendered by celebrated performers. They include Peking Opera artist Zhang Xinyue,  winner of the China Theater Plum Blossom Awards and third-generation successor to the Mei School founded by Chinese legendary Peking Opera master Mei Lanfang who was known for his performance of elegant female roles with a unique way of walking, dancing and speaking; Peking Opera artist Qiu Shi, a leading young artist from the Jingju Theater Company of Beijing; Henan Opera artists Li Jinzhi and Jin Buhuan, both winners of the China Theater Plum Blossom Awards; Wuju Opera artists Yang Xiayun and Lou Sheng, winners of the China Theater Plum Blossom Awards; and Wuju Opera artist Chen Lili, who has won a Magnolia Award for Theater and Performing Arts. Perfectly integrating captivating singing and opera performance with the futuristic metaverse, the artists present world audiences a feast of traditional Chinese opera for both the eyes and ears.

“Good art transcends national borders, and its beauty can be felt and appreciated by all,” said Zhang Xinyue. “It is great to render traditional Chinese opera art in the new form of the metaverse. I hope the beauty of Chinese opera will reach a global audience in this form of rendition.”

More arias of traditional Chinese opera will be presented by the “Xi Gu Chao Xin” NFT series, according to the organizer, to showcase the magic of the metaverse in performing arts.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZG86glBP0yM

CONTACT: Liang Zeng
CICG Center for Asia and Pacific
http://www.peoplechina.com.cn
cicgap (at) foxmail.com