Global Times: Chinese opera’s storytelling embeds philosophical depth in the core of stories

Global Times explores neo-Chinese aesthetics blending tradition, innovation, and tech to engage global, young audiences.

/EIN News/ -- Beijing, China, May 20, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The pursuit of beauty has been a timeless thread weaving throughout human history. The distinct beauty of Chinese aesthetics is not only embodied in every aspect of Chinese life, but also increasingly bringing spiritual enjoyment to people of all cultural backgrounds in the form of artistic expression.

The vibrant neo-Chinese aesthetics is taking hold, blending the rich Chinese heritage with contemporary creativity, offering a unique aesthetic experience, and enriching people's spiritual world. In this series of neo-Chinese aesthetics, the Global Times is presenting articles to decode the spiritual beauty reflected in various art forms.

In a sunlit studio in Beijing, Phoebe Haines, a British mezzo-soprano with 15 years of Western opera experience, gently curls her wrist into a lanhua zhi, or "orchid finger," a quintessential gesture in Kunqu Opera, one of the oldest extant forms of Chinese opera. Her voice, trained in bel canto, softens into the delicate, nasal tones of The Peony Pavilion, winning loud applause from the audience.

"I am not Chinese, and I cannot represent Chinese culture. But I hope to form my own unique observations through my own research and reports, and to spread the excellent traditional Chinese culture," Haines, a doctoral candidate who is studying at the School of Arts, Peking University, told the Global Times.

Haines' journey with Kunqu Opera began back in 2016, when she was invited to participate in an international young artists festival in Suzhou, East China's Jiangsu Province.

"During the program, for the first time I heard Kunqu and found its beauty in both visuals and melodies," Haines recalled. Although she did not understand Chinese opera at the time, she was captivated.

In 2022, Haines had a chance to participate in a program for UN Chinese Language Day, where she learned Kunqu via online sessions. Later, she spent two weeks in Suzhou taking intensive Kunqu courses.

She found that Kunqu required a different kind of concentration and patience compared to Western opera. Take the character Liu Mengmei in The Peony Pavilion for example. Even though the singing of the part is slow, one also has to perform very specific gestures throughout the performance.

For Haines, Kunqu has opened a door to learn a lot about different facets of Chinese culture.

Haines is not alone in her fascination with traditional Chinese opera.

Khantisan Pinkhiew, a master's student at the Confucius Institute of Chulalongkorn University in Thailand, first learned about Peking Opera through a pop song in high school.

Drawn to the makeup and costumes, he has since then been learning Kunqu and Peking Opera excerpts and gaining knowledge about ancient China, Chinese etiquette and Chinese culture.

The allure of traditional Chinese opera lies not only in its visual and auditory appeal but also in its profound aesthetic essence.

Yue Opera performer He Saifei said that the "spiritual essence" of Chinese aesthetics lies in achieving a balance between realism and artistic abstraction.

"Stage performance demands the translation of characters' inner psyche into precise physical expression - such as the 'rhythm of descending stairs' and 'direction of gazes' - requiring both meticulous emotional analysis and exacting theatrical execution to manifest the distinctive spiritual essence inherent in Chinese aesthetics," she told the Global Times.

As more and more foreigners have a chance to experience Chinese opera and some even started leaning it, philosophy professor Liu Yuedi from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences views such cross-cultural engagement as part of "reception aesthetics," where foreign perspectives enrich Chinese art without diluting its essence.

"Fine Chinese art must balance self-expression with global understanding," he told the Global Times.

Contemporary storytelling

For Liu, the core of neo-Chinese aesthetics lies in "innovation," which means to "return to our roots and create something new."

Nowhere is this clearer than in the dance drama A Dream of Red Mansions, which has won the prestigious Chinese dance award - the Lotus Award.

The drama has captivated audiences nationwide with its innovative fusion of classical Chinese aesthetics and contemporary storytelling.

The production, which reimagines the 18th-century literary masterpiece Dream of the Red Chamber, employs minimalist stage design inspired by traditional operas like Peking Opera and Kunqu Opera, using draped curtains, folding screens, and strategic lighting to create an ethereal, immersive atmosphere.

For playwrights Cui Lei and Li Yicheng, adapting such a Chinese classic was a daunting yet motivating task.

"Every Chinese person has their own version of Dream of the Red Chamber in their heart. The pressure to honor the original while offering something fresh was immense," Li Yicheng told the Global Times.

The duo secluded themselves for a year, studying the novel's text and scholarly analyses before settling on an unconventional approach: centering the narrative on the "Twelve Beauties of Jinling" rather than the familiar love triangle of Lin Daiyu, Jia Baoyu, and Xue Baochai.

"Neo-Chinese aesthetics isn't just about costumes or sets - it's about embedding philosophical depth into the story's core," Li emphasized.

Audiences have responded passionately, with many viewers - particularly young women - reporting emotional resonance with the female protagonists' struggles.

"Some fans have watched it seven or eight times, finding new layers of connection each time. Our goal was to translate classical themes into universal emotions that speak to today's values," Cui told the Global Times.

By balancing reverence for tradition with daring reinvention, the dance drama A Dream of Red Mansions exemplifies what Li calls "cultural confidence with a contemporary pulse."

"True innovation isn't about discarding the past - it's about making ancient wisdom vibrate in harmony with today's heartbeat," Cui emphasized.

Modern beats revive parables

Similarly bold is Yu Gong Moves Mountains, a musical that injects the ancient fable of perseverance with hip-hop beats and rock ballads.

The story originates from Liezi: Tang Wen, a Taoist text from the Warring States Period (475BC-221BC) that tells the tale of Yu Gong's perseverance in the face of great challenges, with his descendants continuing to dig through mountains without stopping.

The musical, however, reimagines the legend through song and dance, vividly portraying a series of real and moving stories about contemporary farmers at the foot of Wangwu Mountain as they work to escape poverty and achieve prosperity.

What is particularly noteworthy is that the production not only breathes new life into this ancient Chinese folktale through the youthful medium of musical theater, but also innovatively incorporates rap - a modern musical language - to bring to life six characters, including Yu Gong and Zhi Sou.

Music is the soul of a musical. By blending rock, folk, hip-hop, and other musical styles, Yu Gong Moves Mountains creates a distinctive musical identity. For instance, the use of the suona, an instrument rich in folk characteristics and full of penetrating power, combined with local folk tunes, expresses the deep affection of the people of Wangwu Mountain for their homeland.

Zhou Yingchen, director of the musical, told the Global Times that creating a musical in essence is the implementation and practice of the spirit and concept of Chinese aesthetics.

"The aesthetics of neo-Chinese style, as a direction or a phenomenon, is also a path that we creators of Chinese musicals have unconsciously discovered," said Zhou, adding that along this path, they are seeking a balance between traditional Chinese stage art such as operas and a form of stage expression embraced by today's young people.

Tech on the modern stage

Indeed, today's youth are reshaping the aesthetics of stages. He Saifei noted that Yue Opera, one of the most popular Chinese opera genres, has broken into the mainstream, with actresses like Chen Lijun and Li Yunxiao becoming newly emerging top-tier stars in traditional opera circles, attracting more attention from young audiences, especially Generation Z.

This phenomenon helps showcase the truly classic essence of opera art, while moving people with high-quality content.

"We still need to engage in rational discussion about the balance between preservation and innovation in heritage transmission, while emphasizing the transmission of the art form's core values," He Saifei told the Global Times.

With the increasing use of new technologies like VR and immersive installations, which create unique stage experiences, productions such as The New Dragon Gate Inn have gained popularity among young audiences.

He remarked that "as long as audiences find value in it and are willing to attend theater performances, these innovations are positive - as long as they uphold correct values and align with the narrative and artistic needs of the production."

Liu said that the development of contemporary Chinese aesthetics has to accept technological innovation and include it within itself, because technology can be an auxiliary force for art, but it should never overwhelm art itself.

The problem now is that there is no dynamic balance between technological empowerment and the humanistic core, and often technological innovation overwhelms artistic expression. Such directional bias is worth noting, the philosophy professor noted.

The article first appeared in the Global Times:

https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202505/1334439.shtml. 

Company: Global Times

Contact Person: Anna Li

Email: editor@globaltimes.com.cn

Website: https://globaltimes.cn

City: Beijing

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