Chinese artists vow to promote innovation of traditional opera

BEIJING, Nov. 6 (Xinhua) — A symposium commemorating the 130th birth anniversaries of traditional Chinese opera maestros Mei Lanfang and Zhou Xinfang was held in Beijing on Wednesday, highlighting the innovative development of the art form.
Both Mei and Zhou were notable actors in Peking opera, a major genre of traditional Chinese opera, or “Xiqu,” that arose in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) in Beijing. Mei, born in 1894, was famous for his female roles (“Dan”), while Zhou, born in 1895, was renowned for his old male roles (“Laosheng”).
The attendees, including artists and experts of traditional Chinese opera and the offspring of Mei and Zhou, emphasized the importance of carrying forward the two maestros’ enduring contributions to the innovation and promotion of Chinese culture.
They pledged further efforts to preserve and enhance traditional Chinese opera and promote the creative transformation and innovative development of fine traditional Chinese culture.
The attendees agreed that more measures should be launched to encourage the presence of traditional Chinese opera in schools, rural areas and communities, and enhance its international dissemination.
It is also necessary to foster a favorable policy environment for traditional Chinese opera to flourish, according to the attendees.
Li Shulei, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, attended the symposium. ■