On the evening of September 27th, a Peking Opera performance celebrating the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China was held in the 2nd Floor of the Tin Ka Ping Building at Hainan Normal University. This event was part of the 2024 Hainan Province Peking Opera on Campus Program. University leaders, faculty members, their families, and students all attended the cultural feast together.
Before the performance began, Yang Ziju, a standing member of the university’s Party Committee and Vice President, delivered a speech, warmly welcoming the Peking Opera artists to the university and expressing his utmost respect for them. He pointed out that Peking Opera is a precious cultural heritage of the Chinese nation, rich in historical and cultural significance, and carrying deep national sentiment. This Peking Opera Red Classics Concert serves both as a tribute to the great achievements of our revolutionary predecessors and as an opportunity to inherit and promote the revolutionary spirit. Yang Ziju encouraged students to enhance their cultural awareness and sense of mission by deeply engaging with Peking Opera, and to strive for the realization of the Chinese Dream of national rejuvenation.
Accompanied by the long melodies of Peking Opera, we admire the seasons of the opera garden. The performance began with the modern Peking Opera selection “Embroidering the Red Flag” from “Jiang Jie”.
It sets the stage with a resonant tribute to the revolutionary years. The artists followed this with a powerful chorus of “My Beloved Motherland, I Will Love You Forever”, blending traditional Peking Opera with modern music to convey profound patriotism.
Accompanied by the passage of time, we listen to the echoes of the century past. Another traditional Peking Opera performance, “The Tattooing by Yue Fei’s Mother”, was delivered with vigorous and impactful tone. The story of the mother’s love for her country and her son was immortalized through the famous lines, “To serve the country faithfully is to be its pillar”, echoing a timeless message of patriotism.
The artists skillfully presented characters from classic operas through the unique vocal techniques and gestures of Peking Opera, vividly bringing the roles to life. The audience was transported into a dramatic and emotionally charged world, rich in theatrical tension.
The performance concluded with a stirring rendition of “Today's Victory Banquet” perfromed by all the artists present, receiving thunderous applause from the audience, which continued long after the final note.
This performance was sponsored by the Hainan Provincial Department of Tourism, Culture, Radio, Television, and Sports, co-organized by Hainan Normal University, and hosted by the Hainan Peking Opera Arts Promotion Association.
