At 7:30pm on June 11, 2018, the Sichuan opera Madam White Snake, directed and acted by students of Chongqing University, is performed in public at Chongqing Grand Theatre as an outstanding opera of the 6th Opera Festival for College Students in Chongqing. The audience enjoys the performance very much. Tang Liangzhi, mayor of Chongqing, Zhang Ming, head of the Department of Propaganda and a member of the Standing Committee of CPC Chongqing Municipality Committee, Pan Yiqin, vice mayor of Chongqing, Ou Shunqing, secretary general of the municipal government, deputy head of the Propaganda Department of CPC Chongqing Municipal Committee, Zhang Hongbin, director of Chongqing Culture Commission, Yang Kuang, vice chairman of Chongqing Federation of Literary and Art Circles, and Cheng Lianqun, chairman of Chongqing Dramatist Association, and other officials are present to watch the performance. Zhou Xun, secretary of CPC Chongqing University Committee, Wang Xu, deputy secretary of CPC CQU Committee, Hu Xuebin, a member of the Standing Committee and head of Propaganda Department of CPC CQU Committee, are also present.
There is not a single empty seat at Chongqing Grand Theatre on the night of performance. Audiences are impressed greatly by the wonderful performance of Chongqing University students and applaud continuously. The Sichuan opera Madam White Snake has been created by more than 80 students of Chongqing University, including script re-writing, music score reorganization, prop making and stage art design. They have been rehearsing the opera for 1 year. More than two third of the performers are opera lovers from the science and engineering schools with no knowledge of opera. Wei Yuan, a postgraduate student in his first year from Meishi Film Academy, the Department of Dancing of the School of Arts and Youlan Opera Club of Chongqing University, act as the director. The performance is jointly put on by students from Youlan Opera Club, the Department of Dancing of the School of Arts and the Traditional Instruments Orchestra of Students’ Art Troupe. A 74-year-old amateur performer named Zhang Chongshun, who has been watching Sichuan operas for more than 60 years, says: “Seeing that the college students are so fond of traditional culture, arts and masterworks, and are doing so well, I’m very excited.” He is also moved by the enthusiasm for Sichuan opera shown by CQU students and their love for traditional culture. He adds that he is delighted that the students has re-created Madam White Snake and interpreted it in a completely new way.
In response to the spirit of the important speech delivered by President Xi Jinping at the National Conference on Ideological and Political Work in Colleges and Universities, Chongqing University has been promoting outstanding traditional Chinese culture and exploring new paths of protecting and inheriting the cultural spirit of Sichuan opera, utilizing resources of the “Sichuan Opera Culture Inheritance and Preservation Base”, as one of the first 16 bases established by colleges and universities in China to inherit the outstanding culture and art of China. This is the first time that the Sichuan opera Madam White Snake has been performed outside the campus of Chongqing. It has fully displayed the spirituality and cultural confidence of CQU students, and demonstrated to the entire society the achievements made by CQU in cultural education. Chongqing University will further expedite dissemination of outstanding Chinese culture, strengthen “four-confidence” among teachers and students, and make consolidated efforts in “Double-First-Rate” construction.
The performance has been covered by more than 10 media including Xinhua News Agency, Xinhua Online, Chongqing Daily, Chongqing Satellite TV, Chongqing Morning News, Chongqing Evening News, Chongqing Commercial Daily, Chongqing Times and CQNews.
Pictures provided by: CQNews, Chongqing Evening New, and Chongqing Morning News.
Coverage by external media:
1. Xinhua Online: Sichuan opera Madam White Snake performed by college students at Chongqing Grand Theatre
http://www.cq.xinhuanet.com/2018-06/12/c_1122970484.htm?from=singlemessage
2. ChinaNews: Sichuan opera Madam White Snake performed by college students at Chongqing Grand Theatre
http://www.chinanews.com/m/tp/2018/06-12/8535876.shtml?from=singlemessage&isappinstalled=0
3. CQCB: Sichuan opera Madam White Snake performed by college students at Chongqing Grand Theatre
https://www.cqcb.com/hot/2018-06-11/892769.html?from=singlemessage&isappinstalled=0
4. Chongqing Daily: Sichuan opera Madam White Snake performed by college students at Chongqing Grand Theatre
http://mxwapp.cqwb.com.cn/news/app/share/newsDetail.html?newsInId=390505162354947&from=singlemessage
5. Chongqing Evening News: Sichuan opera Madam White Snake performed by college students at Chongqing Grand Theatre
http://mxwapp.cqwb.com.cn/news/app/share/newsDetail.html?newsInId=390505162354947&from=singlemessage
6. Chongqing Times: College students direct and act Sichuan opera Madam White Snake
http://my.cqtimes.cn/?m=home&c=newsdetail&a=index&id=38292369&type=10002&lng=105.813887&lat=38.669465&inside=0&incode=548773&version=2.6.6&sharetype=wechatmoments&lngofinvite=105.813911&latofinvite=&uidofinvite=mdawmdawmdawmicieqs&usernameofinvite=%E6%9D%8E%E4%B8%80%E9%B8%A3&from=singlemessage
7. CQNews: Sichuan opera Madam White Snake performed by college students at Chongqing Grand Theatre
https://h5.cqliving.com/info/detail/1381572.html?cid=1381572&f=20&from=singlemessage
