From Foshan to San Francisco, Cantonese opera has been spread at home and abroad by the artists from Pingzhou, Guicheng in Guangdong’s Foshan — this is the story in the documentary "Cantonese Opera: The epitome of a century."
This documentary will be premiered on CCTV-17 at 12:35 on March 19, and will be broadcast simultaneously on Yangshipin (央视频) APP. It will also be broadcast on some video platforms and local TV stations later with subtitles in both English and Chinese.
A poster of the documentary (Photo provided to Newsgd.com)
The documentary film focuses on Cantonese opera culture and the development of Cantonese opera in Pingzhou. Lin Xiaoqun, 90, and her husband Bai Chaohong, 96, are renowned Cantonese opera artists who are still active on the stage today.
They have witnessed the evolution of Cantonese opera over the past century. Through the perspective of this couple and other famous Cantonese opera artists, the documentary shows the inheritance, development and spread of Cantonese opera around the world with the continuous efforts of artists of the old, middle and young generations.
Cantonese opera (Photo provided to Newsgd.com)
Pingzhou is known as the cradle of Cantonese opera. Since 1917, Cantonese opera classes for children have been established here, training many outstanding Cantonese opera artists.
Nowadays, many artists are returning to their hometowns to promote the development and inheritance of Cantonese opera. In recent years, Guicheng has been promoting a project called "Cantonese opera into the campus", inviting famous Cantonese opera performers to popularize this art form among students. At the same time, Guicheng also holds Cantonese opera art festivals and supports Cantonese opera clubs to improve the vitality of this traditional culture in the new era.
Students are learning Cantonese opera from Lin Jinping, a famous Cantonese opera artist. (Photo provided to Newsgd.com)
Bai Chaohong is performing Cantonese opera on the stage. (Photo provided to Newsgd.com)
Author | Holly
Editor | Wing, Steven, Monica, Jerry
