Art carnival to ring in China's 60th anniversary
- Source: The Global Times
- [18:02 September 24 2009]
- Comments
A scene from opera Fantasia of the Red Guards on the Honghu Lake.
By Mao Renjie
China will commemorate the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic with one of the most remarkable celebrations spanning 110 performances representing almost all facets of the country’s culture and civilization. According to the information released Wednesday on the website of Ministry of Culture, more than 300,000 people are expected to attend the celebrations in Beijing beginning June 8 until the end of October. This is people’s way of paying a tribute to 60 years of the glorious existence of the nation.
These performances will include nearly all leading artists in every art category of the country: Yu Kuizhi from Peking Opera, Mao Weitao from Shaoxing Opera, Han Zaifen from Huangmei Opera and Li Jindou from Crosstalk. Famous artists from every generation will gather on the Beijing stage, making this tribute series a platform to showcase the prevailing art scenario of China.
The focus of the tribute series would be performances around new China, and based on the period post 1949, especially after the reform and opening-up.
These include classic plays like opera Fantasia of the Red Guards on the Honghu Lake and ballet Red Detachment of Women, other plays like Sichuan opera Gold and acrobatic play Swan Lake, which have emerged after the reform and opening-up. There are also some newly composed plays, especially dedicated to the anniversary celebration like Days in Heishigou and a dance drama Chant of China. Plays with themes of the revolution history and real life in China are also chosen.
The tribute series provides an opportunity to all folks of China to unite and celebrate, with 31 provinces, municipalities directly under the Central government and autonomous regions in Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan all presenting their performances. Overseas artists with Chinese descent are also expected to visit, perform and pay their tribute.
The venues selected include 14 theaters that most represent the art scene in Beijing and cover most areas of the city, like the Poly Theatre and Tianqiao Theater. The tickets would be priced lower than those for commercial performances, starting 20 yuan ($2.93), so as the common people are not bereft from witnessing the interesting journey of China’s culture.
The opening performance of the series will be staged at the National Centre for the Performing Arts on June 8, with Hebei Symphony Orchestra presenting Baipo Symphony, the Origin of New China. The symphony, which is specifically prepared for the anniversary, talks about the historical place Xibaipo, where the Communist Party stationed their offices for the final three battles of the liberation war right before new China was founded in 1949.
