(Ecns.cn)--Every nation has its own unique and irreplaceable form of art. Greece has it tragedies, Italy has its opera, Russia has its ballet and England has Shakespeare. In China, that honor goes to Kunqu Opera.
Kunqu is one of the oldest forms of opera in China, with origins dating back to the Yuan dynasty (1271-1368). Throughout the centuries, it has distinguished itself through the virtuosity of its rhythmic patterns, and exerted a dominant influence over more recent forms such as Sichuan and Peking Operas.
In 2001, UNESCO named Kunqu Opera a masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity, a program designed to ensure that such traditions are preserved, developed and made known to the outside world.
After being listed, Kunqu began finding ways to better embrace the public, shifting from an ancient and noble art to one closer to the general people.
600 years of development
Known as the mother of all Chinese operas, the development of Kunqu has gone through several stages since it was born approximately 600 years ago in the lower Yangtze Valley. It was there that a man named Gu Jian first improved the Kunshan melody, forming the rudiment of Kunqu.
Among the earliest genres of drama, this traditional performing art was named for its birthplace, Kunshan, located near the city of Suzhou in today's Jiangsu Province of east China.
400 years ago the famous playwright Tang Xianzu, who became known as the "Chinese Shakespeare," wrote a play named "The Peony Pavilion" that introduced Kunqu into a period of great prosperity. Kunqu later established itself as the national opera with the inception of two great plays, "The Palace of Eternal Youth" and "The Peach Blossom Fan."
But the development of Kunqu Opera was not always smooth. This elite art form began to decline in the eighteenth century, due mostly to the high level of technical knowledge it required from the audience. By the early twentieth century it had all but disappeared, a situation cruelly exacerbated by deliberate attempts to suppress it during the Cultural Revolution.
Renewed prosperity
Though faced with competition from popular culture and a general lack of interest among youth, Kunqu has nevertheless entered a new era of development thanks to the help of UNESCO, said Luo Zheng, a professor from Peking University.
In 2004, the Suzhou Kunqu Opera Troupe redirected "The Palace of Eternal Youth," which was staged in Beijing. With an investment of 8 million yuan ($1.24 million), the opera was directed by Gu Duhuang, a famous Kunqu expert , with Tim Yip as artistic designer. The play received high praise from experts and the public alike, a feat hardly imaginable before 2001.
Well-known writer and Kunqu lover Bai Xianyong designed a new version of "The Peony Pavilion" for young audiences in China. When he first presented his version at Suzhou University in 2004, the play was a hit, creating a new enthusiasm among students for the august Kunqu Opera.
The play had been performed 99 times and unfailingly received warm praise from 2004 to 2005. In 2006, Bai took the play to the United States, where it was also praised by Americans as elegant and beautiful.
Efforts made by Kunqu performers and enthusiasts to promote the art have also increased significantly. In the ten years since being listed by UNESCO, government groups, citizens and professional actors have united to facilitate more Kunqu Opera performances.
From generation to generation
In order to save the opera, the Ministry of Culture has carried out eight protection measures focused on providing funding to help train talent and promote the art to the public. In addition to government support, many fans of Kunqu are doing their part as well.
The new version of "The Peony Pavilion" by Bai, for example, has interested many university students. Some of them, inspired by Bai, have founded groups to help promote the opera to other students of their age.
There are concerns, however, about the healthy promotion of the art, and Kunqu protectors worry that over-saturation may not be good. Speculators could mis-handle marketing, for example, which might harm or contaminate Kunqu.
Experts welcome the art form's protection, but advise that truly appreciating it requires people to equip themselves with plenty of background knowledge.
