"Guangdong Opera Carnival" kicked off in Yongqing Fang, Liwan District, Guangzhou on June 8. The event is jointly held by Liwan Culture, Radio, Television, Tourism, and Sports Bureau, Cantonese Opera Art Museum, Guangzhou Opera House, and Yongqing Fang.
With the theme of "In-Between" in 2023, Liwan District invited Guangzhou Cantonese Opera Groups and other professional art groups to leave the stage and sing in a garden, aiming to break the boundaries between art and life, traditional culture and modern art, and actors and audiences.
The carnival was held from June 8 to 11. Residents enjoyed free performances, Cantonese opera flash mobs, and the Cantonese opera makeup experience events.
The immersive Cantonese opera garden theatre, "Songs Surround the Lychee Bay," debuted on June 8 at night. Citizens followed the artists and walked in a garden, closely observing their moves. Audiences were touched by the characters’ emotional changes with melodious music and classic Cantonese opera repertoires while visiting magnificent traditional architecture in the Cantonese Opera Art Museum.
"I needed to hold the phone and zoom in to see the details of characters when I was watching the show in a theatre. It is such an incredible experience to get close and interact with the artists this time. The makeup looks gorgeous!" said Miss Zou, a local Cantonese opera fan. She posted photos of actors immediately on social media to share her experience.
Moreover, artists performed “opera highlights” in a “flash mob” from June 9 to 11 at Dieyue Bridge and Gushu Plaza, Yongqing Fang. Audiences enjoyed the charm of traditional Cantonese opera culture while visiting the traditional architecture of Liwan District.
"Performing in the street of Yongqing Fang and watching these traditional architectures feel so different from performing on the stage. Although I have rich performing experience on the stage, I feel extra excitement when getting close to the audience and being in these old streets. It feels like time travel, sending me back to the past," said Zhang Shua, who acted in a Cantonese opera flash mob.
Jie Ming, a fan of famous Cantonese opera actress Mo Yanyun, told GDToday that she has always wanted to dress like the famous character "Diao Chan," just as how Mo Yanyun looks on the stage. "The complete process of Hua Dan makeup is very complicated. It took me about 3 hours to sit in front of the mirror and wait for the makeup artist to paint my face. The headwear is so much heavier than I thought that standing up and walking a few steps can make me sweat. I feel both thrilled and tired when my opera look is completed. It is such a fascinating experience to be in Cantonese opera culture and feel the hard work and efforts that Cantonese opera artists have put into this fabulous art," she said.
In addition, audiences designed their own opera faces and hand-painted fans at a workshop to express their love of Cantonese opera.
Author | Clarice
Photo provided to GDToday
Editor | Wing, Olivia, Jasmine, James
