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Teochew Opera heritage centers set up in Southeast Asia

On April 29, the online opening ceremony of Guangdong Chao Opera Institute's Teochew opera heritage centers in Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand was held at the Guangdong Chao Opera Institute in Shantou, Guangdong.

(Photo: Nanfang Plus)

The opening ceremony was accompanied by the closing ceremony of the "Research and Training Program for Inheritors of China's Intangible Cultural Heritage: the first International Teochew Opera Training Course".

At the closing ceremony, students of the training course performed Teochew opera to showcase what they had learned in both offline and online forms.

Teochew opera, Chao opera or Chaozhou opera, performed in the Chaoshan dialect, is one of the Chinese operas originating in Guangdong's Chaoshan region (home to many Southeast Asian Chinese's forefathers).

From March 31 to April 30, 2022, Shantou University and Guangdong Chao Opera Institute jointly held the course online and offline, offering intensive training for Teochew opera inheritors from the Chaoshan region and Hong Kong, as well as Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore.

Hao Zhifeng, president of the Shantou University, pointed out that the course could better improve the skills of Teochew opera inheritors, promote the development of Teochew opera and further expand the international influence of China's intangible cultural heritage protection.

Promoted by the training course, Guangdong Chao Opera Institute collaborated with various Teochew opera performing groups in Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand, setting up heritage centers in four cities in these three countries to carry out activities such as teaching, exchanges and performances.

(Photo: Nanfang Plus)

Zhan Shaojun, vice president of Guangdong Chao Opera Institute, said that since its establishment, Guangdong Chao Opera Institute has given nearly 1,000 performances in the three countries and established a strong friendship with local performing teams. The centers will help sustain relationships with overseas Chinese in Southeast Asian countries and promote exchanges of and cooperation with this art form.

"Teochew opera is a treasure of Chinese culture, a representative of Chaoshan culture, and the spiritual link connecting more than 50 million Chaoshan people at home and abroad," said Li Guixiong, vice chairman of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce in Thailand as well as the chairman of International Teochew Youth Federation for life. Li indicated that the heritage center is a milestone of the development of Chaoshan culture in Thailand.

Li appealed to Chaoshan people and communities at home and abroad to speed up the training of the youth, promote Chaoshan culture and spirit, promote the inheritance and dissemination of Chinese traditional culture abroad, enhance the sense of identity and belonging with the motherland as well as support the development of their hometown and further the cooperation and exchanges between China and the world.

Author | Holly

Editor | Wing, Olivia, Monica, Jerry

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