Hangzhou Xixi Investment & Development Co., Ltd.: An International Tourism Complex Rooted in the Cultural Heritage of Xixi Waterways

Release time:

2019-09-11

Kunqu Opera has long been designated by UNESCO as one of the very first Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. With its elegant lyrics and refined melodies, delicate performances, and graceful artistry, Kunqu is revered as the “ancestor of all operas.” The Xixi Wetlands share a deep historical connection with Kunqu; Hong Sheng, the author of Kunqu’s classic masterpiece “The Palace of Eternal Life,” once lived in Hongyuan within the Xixi Wetlands. During China’s traditional Mid-Autumn Festival, the China Wetland Museum, in collaboration with the Yabu Academy, presents the Kunqu performance “A Dream at the Peony Pavilion,” featuring selections from the most iconic scenes of “The Peony Pavilion.” “The Peony Pavilion” is celebrated for its exquisite literary style and witty, lively dialogue, seamlessly blending the bold, dynamic qualities of Northern opera with the lyrical, refined elegance of Southern opera. As Ming scholar Lü Tiancheng remarked, “Its emotional power is breathtaking—and its ingenuity knows no bounds; every scene feels fresh and new—truly worthy of being passed down through the ages!” In the preface to the play, Tang Xianzu wrote: “Only someone like Du Liniang can truly be called a person who knows love. Love arises without knowing why, yet it grows ever deeper with each passing moment. The living may die, and the dead may live again. But those who cannot transcend life and death, or who cannot bring the dead back to life—such people have not truly known the depths of love.” “The Peony Pavilion” directly posits “love” as the fundamental principle behind artistic creation, deliberately setting “love” in opposition to “reason.” As Tang Xianzu put it: “If reason tells us that something is impossible, how can we be sure that love will never come to pass?” (Preface to “The Peony Pavilion”). This “love” is not confined to romantic relationships between men and women; though the story revolves around a tale of rekindled love after death, it profoundly reflects the yearning and aspirations of an entire society striving for change in that era. The theme of “The Peony Pavilion” is far more than mere romance: Du Liniang does not merely return to life for Liu Sheng; what the play subtly reveals is the collective hope and longing of an entire society for the arrival of a new spring—a new age of freedom. The Yabu Academy’s “A Dream at the Peony Pavilion” draws on the most evocative scenes from “The Peony Pavilion,” weaving poetic drama into vivid, narrative-rich performances that evoke that distant past—a timeless love story that transcends time and space. Set against the serene backdrop of waterways and wetlands, the performance meticulously unfolds centuries of artisanal craftsmanship steeped in the beauty of lakes and mountains, fully capturing the elegant, refined, and delicately nuanced classical charm of Kunqu Opera. Program: “Touring the Garden,” “Startled in a Dream,” “Seeking a Dream,” “Picking Up the Painting” Performing Group: Yabu Academy Accompaniment: Gongchi Kunqu Orchestra Principal Flute: Shi Jianxiao Drum and Board (also Percussion): Yi Binquan Pipa: Wang Xiaoyuan Yangqin: Chen Xintong Zhongruan: Jia Qianru Guzheng: Yuan Chenxi Erhu: Liu Yuxi The Yabu Academy Gongchi Kunqu Orchestra was founded in 2016. Its core members all hail from the China Academy of戏曲, the Zhejiang Conservatory of Music, and the Shanghai Conservatory of Music—a group of highly talented young musicians born in the 1990s—who have consistently performed on stages both domestically and abroad, earning numerous professional accolades. The orchestra is dedicated to the study and preservation of Kunqu Opera and Silk-and-Bamboo music, taking it upon itself to promote the classical aesthetics of Kunqu. It has organized dozens of concerts, including the Qing Dynasty Yabu Grand Prize Kunqu Concert, the “A Dream at the Peony Pavilion” Imaginative Concert, the “Flourishing Blossoms and Rich Colors” Youth Concert, and the “National Style, Song Dynasty Elegance” Melody-Setting Concert—all of which have received unanimous praise and earned the orchestra the reputation of being a “young, visually striking, highly educated, and culturally refined” Kunqu ensemble. Event Information Theme: Mid-Autumn Festival · A Dream at the Peony Pavilion Fee: Free Venue: Courtyard of the China Wetland Museum Time: September 13 (Friday), 2:30–3:30 p.m. Notes: This performance is open to all; no registration is required. Please refrain from speaking loudly during the show to avoid disturbing other audience members.

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