News&Events


Passing of the Torch – Kunqu Heritage at PKU

2014-07-08 00:42:06


 On May 2014, an “Appreciation of Classical Kunqu” class was conducted, unveiling a new chapter of the Kunqu Heritage program. It also symbolizes the kick-off of a new five year plan of the program. The formation of the PKU Kunqu Heritage and Research Center signifies the continuous effort made in the promotion of Kunqu heritage at PKU.

The first five-year plan of the PKU Kunqu Heritage Program was initiated in 2009 with the successful launch of the first ever “Appreciation of classical Kunqu” lesson and its promotion as an elective module.  The launch of the Kunqu performance workshop further showcased the beauty of this art form. With the completion of the first five-year plan, PKU focused on building upon the experiences accumulated in the new five-year plan, improving the quality of the course, further promoting the workshop and bringing performances into the school.

 

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In addition, the scope will expand beyond PKU to cultivate young talents in Kunqu. Efforts will be placed into modernizing the archives, including collaboration between the PKU Cultural Industry Institute and the PKU Library for the gathering and digitalization of local and overseas resources. This will facilitate the promotion of Kunqu on a global basis, and will serve as a platform for enthusiasts and researchers from all over the world to experience and interact over Kunqu.

On 6th March 2014, renowned Chinese author Mr. Bai Xianyong officially launched the new five-year plan for the promotion of Kunqu study. He made use of new versions of “The Peony Pavilion” and “The Jade Hairpin” as examples to explain the fusion of traditional and modern Kunqu. Mr. Bai also shared his experience in producing the new version of “The Peony Pavilion”, and invited the cast to provide a live demonstration. Alongside Mr. Bai visit’s to PKU was the Suzhou Kunqu Institute performance at PKU, which was met with overwhelming response from the students, proving the success of Kunqu promotion at PKU.

Other than the performance of the classic “The Peony Pavilion”, acts such as “The Tale of the Leaping Carp” and “Washing the Silken Gauze” were also performed. This provided a stage for young actors to try out new roles and further improve their skills. This experience has also contributed to the progress in the standards of the actors.

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The continuation of the Kunqu legacy falls on the shoulders of youth actors. They regularly visit veteran actors across the nation in order to learn from them, and to preserve the legacy.  One of the key steps that have been taken is the introduction of the elective course which exposes more students to the art. More importantly, performance tickets are free for these students and heavily subsidized for others, cultivating a large audience base for Kunqu, ensuring its continuous growth. With continued efforts, organizers have seen an increase in appreciation of Kunqu, and deeper understanding of the traditional art form among students. It is also heartening to know that the demand for Kunqu continues to grow.

Mr. Bai has once emphasized in his speech in 2013 during the commencement ceremony of the new five-year plan that “Youth today are part of the Chinese race. In their blood contains the spirit of ‘communalism’, a desire of recognition towards their own culture. They do not reject our classical culture. These undergraduates will be the driving force in constructing our culture. I hope that they can be exposed to Kunqu and to appreciate its beauty. I believe that once the seeds are sowed, it will continue to grow.”

Professor Ye Lang, Director of the Cultural Industry Institute, emphasized, “The new age will lead us to revisit our traditional culture, and the rejuvenation of a race is the rejuvenation of its culture. In contemporary society, material life and spiritual life have lost its balance, with material life as the focus, and spiritual and cultural aspects are being neglected. This has generated many “one sided persons”. The Chinese culture focuses on our spiritual health, thus we should revisit the classics of our traditional culture.”

There is still a long way to go in the promotion of the Kunqu heritage, with room of improvement in terms of the scope and depth of communication. As the sponsor of the new five-year plan, the Chairman of the America FCCH Foundation GuHuaijian emphasized“We hope that the PKU Kunqu Heritage will blossom and reignite the torch of its legacy. I look forward to this platform for likeminded individuals to come together.”

PKU has gathered an outstanding team of scholars in the Kunqu Heritage project which enables students to engage in Kunqu and experience its aesthetic beauty. This provides a success model for PKU’s counterparts in aesthetics education and passing on the legacy of Kunqu, an important aspect of the Chinese culture. From research, to archiving, to database building and to producing, the preservation of Kunqu and its modern interpretation have allowed it to shine. Kunqu will no doubt be an important cultural soft power of China.
 
 Written By: Wang Kangwei