The Jingjiang City Library in Jingjiang city – located in East China's Jiangsu province – recently hosted a lecture on Xi opera, a form of traditional Chinese theatre.
Xi opera, which originated in Wuxi city in the province, is one of the three major operas in East China and has a strong presence in the Yangtze River Delta area, with over 40 troupes.
The lecture aimed to promote the inheritance of the revered intangible cultural heritage item and attracted over 40 participants – including the family of Yolanda, who are expatriates currently living and working in Jingjiang.
Expat Yolanda tries her hand at Xi opera. [Photo/zhjjwx.jsjjw.cn]
The lecture focused on the use of fans, a common prop in Xi opera. Two young actors from the Jingjiang Xi Opera Troupe demonstrated the different uses of folding fans.
Participants were encouraged to pick up the fan and follow the movements of the actors, immersing themselves in the art of Xi opera and experiencing the magic of fan usage.
Zhan Dongqin, a young actor from the city's Xi opera troupe, showed them how the fan allows people to appreciate the beauty of this traditional art form.
In addition to the Xi opera lecture, the library plans to organize more lectures on traditional Chinese culture during the summer holidays, to further promote traditional Chinese culture.