Wuju Opera Goes Global

Lang Qingyu

浙婺“歡乐春节巡演”在意大利罗马进行。Artists of Zhejiang Wuju Opera Troupe stage a lion dance in celebration of traditional Chinese New Year in Rome，Italy.

Wuju Opera is an ancient regional tradition that originated and flourished in Jinhua， a central city in central Zhejiang Province. The opera enjoys popularity in the central and southern parts of Zhejiang. A hybrid of six regional music traditions， Wuju Opera is considered as the ancestry of Peking Opera， the orthodox of Anhui Opera and the living fossil of Nan Opera. In 2008， Wuju Opera was inscribed on the second national list of intangible cultural heritage.

A regional opera in Zhejiang not well known to most Chinese people， Wuju Opera made its international debut in 1994 when a troupe from Jinhua staged Wuju Opera shows in Singapore. In November 2018， the troupe staged three performances within six days in its sixth visit to Singapore over since 1994. Over past ten years， Wuju Opera artists have visited over 30 countries and regions across the world， presenting the traditional Chinese culture to international audiences.

Zhejiang Wuju Opera Troupe， founded in 1956， made its national fame in Beijing when the troupe staged four highlights from the traditional repertoire. In the 1980s， the troupe caused a stir in the national theater entertainment industry by staging . In recent years， Chen Meilan， a Wuju Opera artist who has won Plum Flower awards twice and leader of a team that creates new Wuju Opera plays， has made her name at home and abroad.

Nowadays， Zhejiang Wuju Opera Troupe is a frequent player in many countries. In October 2018， it appeared at the 3rd China-Africa Art Festival in Egypt before visiting and staging shows in Eritrea and Burundi.

Prior to the traditional Chinese New Year on the lunar calendar in 2018， artists from the troupe visited Swiss， Italy and Malta to stage performances in celebration of the traditional Chinese New Year. The troupe gave nine performances in Malta and participated in the parade of 2018 Malta Carnival.

Artists of Zhejiang Wuju Opera Troupe perform more than the artistry of Wuju Opera. They also perform a dragon dance and a lion dance with regional characteristics for international audiences. Lion dances and dragon dances are popular entertainment across China， with different styles in different regions in different parts of the country. Zhejiang alone has a great variety of styles of dragon dance. The dragon dance and the lion dance by the artists of Zhejiang Wuju Opera Troupe， highly suitable for outdoor venues， attract crowds wherever they are staged on international tours.

When the Louvre Abu Dhabi， an art and civilization museum， became operational in November 2017， Wuju Opera artists from Zhejiang were invited to stage shows in celebration of the commencement of the museum. Zhejiang Wuju Opera Troupe was the only Chinese team， among the 20 teams from over ten countries， invited to perform on the occasion. The lion dance and the dragon dance attracted huge crowds. Mr. Manuel Rabate， director of the Louvre Abu Dhabi， watched the show twice and felt satisfied and thrilled. “I have never been to China. Your show opened my eyes to the brilliance of the traditional Chinese art，” said Mr. Manuel Rabate in an interview with Chinese journalists.

浙婺在阿布扎比盧浮宫演出。 周聪 摄Artists of Zhejiang Wuju Opera Troupe stage a lion dance at the Louvre Abu Dhabi in November 2017.

浙婺在埃及演出 。Artists of Zhejiang Wuju Opera Troupe perform Monkey King in Egypt in celebration of traditional Chinese New Year.

Zhejiang Wuju Opera Troupe is an active player in Chinas cultural exchange programs of the Belt & Road Initiative. In 2018， the troupe staged nine performances in Zhengzhou， Xian， Lanzhou and Urumqi， four important cities which have played a key role in Chinas ancient Silk Road. The most eye-catching plays the artists performed were  and .  is a popular play in the repertoires of regional operas across China. The Wuju Opera version is probably the most famous. The drama has been improved many times， featuring a unique expression of the ancient romance and the Wuju charms. The troupe now presents an international version of the tale for international audiences. The singing arias are largely condensed from the first half of the play and the Kungfu in the second part is further highlighted and new costumes add a special touch.

The Belt & Road Initiative gives Wuju Opera artists more opportunities to perfect their artistry and go global. Young artists are emerging. They average no more than 30 years old and they have a long time to shine on the Wuju Opera stage and thus carry the tradition to the future and to the world.