The Leisure and Cultural Services Department and the Guangzhou Municipal Culture, Radio, Television and Tourism Bureau will jointly present the Guangzhou Culture Week in October. The Guangzhou Cantonese Opera Theatre Company and the Guangzhou Song and Dance Theatre have been invited to visit Hong Kong to perform two thriving stage productions that are based on historical events, namely "Princess Wencheng", a new Cantonese opera work, and "Awakening Lion", a grand Chinese dance drama. The two programmes demonstrate the unity and solidarity of the country's ethnic groups as well as the inheritance of national spirit that has been passed down through generations, while showcasing a new cultural look in the Guangzhou city. Tickets will be on sale starting tomorrow (August 27).
Details of the programmes are as follows:
A New Cantonese Opera "Princess Wencheng" by Guangzhou Cantonese Opera Theatre Company
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Date and time: October 22 and 23 (Tuesday and Wednesday) 7.30pm
Venue: Auditorium, Sha Tin Town Hall
Ticket prices: $180, $260, $340, $420
The New Cantonese Opera "Princess Wencheng" is an epic opera based on the history of Princess Wencheng's marriage to the King of Ancient Tibet in the Tang dynasty. It narrates the story of Wencheng, who stays in the Ancient Tibetan Kingdom for 40 years to assist the Ancient Tibetan King Songtsan Gampo, and has become a close friend of Ancient Tibet Tang Hao, forging friendly ties between peoples of Ancient Tibet and Han. Different from the traditional melancholic image of a princess in a political marriage, the play portrays Wencheng as an intelligent, playful, courageous and responsible woman. With a cast of renowned Cantonese opera artists, such as the two-time recipient of the China Theatre Plum Blossom Award (Plum Blossom Award) Ou Kaiming (as Songtsan Gampo), Plum Blossom Award winners Li Jiayi (as Princess Wencheng), Li Junsheng (as Tang Hao) and Chen Yunhong (as Madam Li), together with resplendent stage design, lighting and costume of high Tang and Ancient Tibetan style, this production is a celebration of national unity and harmony that has lasted for a thousand years. The play was premiered in 2022, and received high acclaim.
Grand Chinese Dance Drama "Awakening Lion" by Guangzhou Song and Dance Theatre
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Date and time: October 26 (Saturday) 8pm
October 27 (Sunday) 3pm
Venue: Auditorium, Sha Tin Town Hall
Ticket prices: $200, $260, $340, $420
The "Awakening Lion" is the first grand Chinese dance drama on the Mainland to feature "Guangdong lion dancing", a representative item of the national intangible cultural heritage. It was named the best dance drama by the most prominent dance award on the Mainland – the China Dance Lotus Award. Setting against the backdrop of the Sanyuanli Anti-British Uprising during the Opium War a hundred years ago, the programme reflects the awakening of Chinese national identity. The story is about two teenage lion dance dancers who achieve self-awakening and growth when making various life decisions, such as the emotional dynamics and the righteous cause of the nation. The drama integrates various symbols of Lingnan culture, such as lion dance, Nanquan (Southern Fist), Choy Li Fut-style martial arts, Yingge dance (Dance of Heroes), wooden dummy and more, to create a unique dance vocabulary. By blending multimedia technology with music and costume rich in regional characteristics, the staging features both modern appeal and visual impact. Since its premiere in 2018, the dance drama has toured the Mainland for over 250 performances and has been well received by the audience.
Tickets of the above-mentioned programmes will be available at URBTIX (www.urbtix.hk) from tomorrow onwards. For telephone bookings, please call 3166 1288. Additional early bird discount will be offered from tomorrow until September 26 for purchasing the above-mentioned programmes through any of the discount scheme.
During the Guangzhou Culture Week period, various extension activities, including sharing sessions, a workshop and a backstage tour, will be held to facilitate exchanges and sharing between culture lovers from Guangzhou and Hong Kong. For programme enquiries and concessionary schemes of "Princess Wencheng", please call 2268 7325 or visit www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/CulturalService/Programme/en/chinese_opera/programs_1770.html; for programme enquiries and concessionary schemes of "Awakening Lion", please call 2268 7323 or visit www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/CulturalService/Programme/en/dance/programs_1768.html. The above-mentioned programmes are also part of the Fourth Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Culture and Arts Festival.
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