THE Culture Park in Luohu is presently hosting the "2005 Luohu Guangdong opera Arts Festival," which runs from Aug. 28 to Sept. 6. The festival provides local opera fans with a chance to savor top-notch performances by prestigious Guangdong opera artists. It also aims to further promote the development of Guangdong opera, which in turn will benefit the city's cultural industry.

A total of 60 programs will be staged during the 10-day festival, including highlights from traditional and modern Guangdong opera arias, opera dancing and acrobatics, and choir singing of songs adapted from operas.

The event, seen as an effort to revive traditional cultures and arts, has attracted many of the most famous Guangdong opera actors of the country, including Feng Gangyi, Zhuo Peili, Su Chunmei, Huang Weikun and Cen Yunjian. Actors from professional Guangdong opera organizations and amateurs from all over the city will perform on stage. The youngest performer is only 6 years old.

In tandem with the festival is a "Guangdong Opera Sing-along" event in the Culture Park, which caters to amateur performers and opera fans.

"This year's arts festival marks the biggest Guangdong opera presentation and promotion in Shenzhen in recent years," said Xu Xiangdong, deputy head of the Shenzhen Guangdong Opera and Highlights Association, which organized the event.

The arts festival marks a change from previous events of the same kind held in Shenzhen as it "sends opera shows to many neighborhoods," according to Xu. Nine shows will take place in nine subdistricts in Luohu, in addition to the gala performance in the Culture Park every evening.

Guangdong opera originated in the 13th century in Guangdong. It is popular in Guangdong, Guangxi, Hong Kong, Southeast Asia, and among Chinese people resident overseas.

In recent years, Guangdong opera has faced severe challenges in the country. Its audiences have dwindled with young people showing more interest in modern art forms. As a result, there is less support from the public, and there is less investment. Many Guangdong opera artists are worried that this once-splendid art form might gradually fade away, and even disappear. Guangdong opera is fast becoming an endangered species that needs to be rescued.

In Luohu, however, Guangdong opera has seen a robust revival in the past few years, especially since 2003. In many subdistricts, Guangdong opera is now a part of the community culture, and more middle-aged and young people are becoming amateur performers. In Xiangxi Primary School, a Guangdong opera training center was founded last year, and many children have started learning opera performance, with more children showing interest.

A manifestation of such developments is the increase in the number of opera houses, where people come to sing Guangdong opera. In 2003, there were around 40 opera houses in Luohu. This year, the number has almost doubled. Over 1,000 amateurs and fans from the mainland, Hong Kong and Macao come to sing in these places, and the annual outcome from opera-related industries is more than 100 million yuan (US$12.4 million). The "Guangdong opera economy" has become a new area of growth in the local economy.

The Luohu District Government has pledged its long-term support to Guangdong opera, and this has led to the revival of the art form in the area. "In Luohu, we have more Guangdong opera lovers than in other districts of the city. Hence we have a better foundation in developing this traditional art form," said a spokesman for the Publicity Department of the Luohu District Committee of the CPC. "Guangdong opera-related activities have strengthened the cultural tie between Shenzhen and Hong Kong and boosted local economy."

The Shenzhen Guangdong Opera and Highlights Association plays an important role in promoting Guangdong opera in the city. Founded in September last year, the association has been organizing free training centers, shows and contests in order to attract people of all ages. Now it boasts several thousand members throughout Shenzhen.

"Guangdong opera activities have enriched people's life and brought more and more concerns for traditional culture and arts," said Xu.

She said the association would organize the first international Guangdong opera festival in the city in December, and this would further help Shenzhen's image as an important Guangdong opera base in China.

Editor: Wing