The Tang Xianzu Memorial Hall in Fuzhou is a comprehensive cultural venue built to commemorate Tang Xianzu, one of the world’s hundred great cultural figures and a master of Ming‑dynasty drama in China. It is also one of Jiangxi Province’s ten major memorial halls dedicated to historical luminaries.

Building friendships through theater: Fuzhou expands its international network of partnerships.

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2025-10-24

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As the hometown of Tang Xianzu, Fuzhou safeguards this literary legacy with reverence and carries forward its historical and cultural heritage through innovative approaches. By means of diverse formats—such as the “Xu River Gaoqiang: Hometown Dialect” series of stage productions and immersive performances—the city is advancing the creative adaptation and innovative evolution of Tang’s classic works, enabling them to shine anew on contemporary stages.

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to make Author | Li Dreamy

“What good is a fine day and beautiful scene, when even the most delightful moments are fleeting? Who, pray tell, can truly savor such joy in whose courtyard?” These timeless lines penned by Tang Xianzu continue to be sung and cherished across more than four centuries.

Hometown accents sing of ancient charm.

The lights dimmed, and the curtain slowly rose. “May wind and rain be just as we wish, and may we celebrate a bountiful harvest—throughout the world, lanterns shine…” Not long ago, the Xuhé Gaoqiang–Xiangyin–version of “The Purple Hairpin” enjoyed a triumphant premiere at the Tang Xianzu Grand Theatre, offering audiences a long‑awaited feast of traditional opera. With their masterful performances and exquisite vocal artistry, the actors brought the characters’ emotions to vivid life.

This production marks another successful endeavor, following the acclaimed staging of the Xuhé Gaoqiang–Hometown Dialect adaptations of “The Four Dreams of Linchuan” and “The Peony Pavilion.” It will serve as the centerpiece of the 7th Tang Xianzu International Theatre Exchange Month in 2025, once again offering audiences a splendid artistic feast.

To restore, as faithfully as possible, the rustic authenticity of Tang Xianzu’s play at its premiere more than four centuries ago, this production centers on the Xuhe Gaoqiang vocal style, delving deeply into the cultural essence of “qingzhi.” While preserving the original work’s core spirit, it also infuses elements of Fuzhou folk traditions and contemporary aesthetics, re‑creating for audiences a classical love saga that remains vivid across four centuries.

The creation and staging of the Xuhé Gaoqiang–Hometown‑Tone version of “The Story of the Purple Hairpin” serve both as a tribute to Tang Xianzu’s timeless masterpieces and as an innovative effort to revitalize this ancient theatrical tradition and pass on its celebrated classics. In recent years, our city has actively undertaken the production of locally rooted classic plays, successively presenting new works such as the Xuhé Gaoqiang–Hometown‑Tone adaptations of “The Four Dreams of Linchuan” and “The Peony Pavilion,” thereby striving to build the “Tang Xianzu Drama Culture” brand.

According to reports, the Xuhé Gaoqiang–Xiangyin version of “The Peony Pavilion” was selected for the National Arts Fund’s 2020 Program for Dissemination, Exchange, and Promotion, as well as for the Jiangxi Culture and Arts Fund’s 2019 Program for Dissemination, Exchange, and Promotion; it was also named a “nominated production” for the Wenhua Grand Award of the Chinese Government Award for Culture and Art, and received the Jiangxi Provincial Literature and Art Award, among others. Meanwhile, the Xuhé Gaoqiang–Xiangyin version of “The Story of the Purple Hairpin” was chosen for the Jiangxi Culture and Arts Fund’s 2024 Program for Stage‑Art Creation Funding.

Technology Meets Art

While preserving the essence of tradition, our city has leveraged technology as its wings and innovation as its bridge, fostering a profound dialogue between Tang Xianzu’s timeless classics and contemporary audiences. In 2018, the large-scale immersive production “In Search of Dreams: The Peony Pavilion” was successfully staged, reimagining the classic narrative in a wholly new format.

As the audience enters the performance venue, Du Liniang, accompanied by her maid Chunxiang, gracefully glides into a dreamlike back garden. Thanks to cutting-edge holographic digital imaging, the garden’s spring blossoms bloom in an instant, immersing the spectators as if they were right there in the scene.

As the music of the “Wandering Soul, Seeking Dreams” chapter swells, 3D mapping technology precisely conjures the ethereal realm of the netherworld. Amid the interplay of light and shadow, Du Liniang’s “separation-of-soul” dance unfolds with graceful fluidity, bringing to life her fervent longing that transcends life and death. Finally, the “Three Lives, One Dream” segment drives the atmosphere to a crescendo: a colossal circular ring—symbolizing reunion and bliss—slowly ascends, and Du Liniang and Liu Mengmei, after enduring countless trials, at last become husband and wife.

“Dreaming of the Peony Pavilion” takes “The Peony Pavilion” as its foundation, breaking free from the constraints of traditional stagecraft. Set against the historic architectural ensemble of Wenchangli, it features a 20-meter‑high circular water screen that seamlessly merges with the vast expanse of the night sky. Twelve meticulously crafted live‑action scenes weave together three major chapters: “A Garden Stroll and a Dream Surprise,” “A Soul’s Journey in Pursuit of Dreams,” and “Fulfilling a Three‑Life Dream.” After three years of painstaking refinement, the production integrates time‑honored elements—opera, dance, martial arts, acrobatics, and music—while harnessing cutting‑edge technologies such as holographic digital imaging, innovative light‑art installations, and avant‑garde set design. By transforming the classical operatic principles of singing, recitation, acting, and martial arts into an immersive experience, it delivers a powerfully resonant audiovisual feast, cementing its status as a landmark IP in Fuzhou’s cultural‑tourism fusion.

Since its premiere in 2018, the large-scale immersive production “Dreaming of the Peony Pavilion” has drawn numerous domestic and international guests and tourists, welcoming over 450,000 visitors to date.

Cultural Outreach

In October 2019, the Xuhé Gaoqiang–Xiangyin–adapted production of “The Peony Pavilion” represented China’s finest theatrical works at the 47th Cervantes International Arts Festival in Mexico, and staged cultural exchange performances in five cities, including Guanajuato and Mexico City.

In January 2025, an excerpt from the Xuhé Gaoqiang–Xiangyin–style production of “The Peony Pavilion: A Stroll in the Garden” will be featured at the “Years Like a Song” 2025 UAE Chinese Community’s 11th Spring Festival Gala, as well as at the Fuzhou City Cultural Tourism (UAE) Promotion Event, themed “Jiangxi’s Scenery Is Uniquely Beautiful.”

In July 2025, at the Jiangxi Activity Day of the China Pavilion during the World Exposition in Osaka, Japan, performers from our city donned exquisite costumes to present a segment from “The Peony Pavilion,” one of the classic plays in the “Four Dreams of Linchuan.” A special interactive experience zone was also set up, inviting international visitors to personally explore the gestures and movements of Fuzhou Tea-Picking Opera, thereby savoring the unique charm of Chinese opera.

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Today, Fuzhou is gaining global recognition for the unique charm of its traditional opera art. In recent years, our city has tapped into its rich heritage of outstanding cultural traditions, hosting events such as the National Exhibition of Exquisite Gaoqiang Operas, the 7th Jiangxi Arts Festival and the 11th Jiangxi Yuminghua Drama Festival, the second National Tea-Picking Opera Showcase “Tea Fragrance of China,” and the 8th Jiangxi Arts Festival along with the 12th Jiangxi Yuminghua Drama Festival. Furthermore, Fuzhou has staged exchange performances in the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom, Spain, Peru, and other countries, helping to bring Tang Xianzu’s dramatic works to the international stage and earning high praise from audiences at home and abroad.

In addition, to broaden its circle of international cultural exchange, our city has long used theater as a bridge, hosting six editions of the Tang Xianzu International Theater Exchange Month. During these events, classic productions from artists of many countries have shared the stage with local Chinese operas, fostering cultural dialogue and mutual learning between East and West. Since 2016, more than 300 acclaimed, timeless works from over 20 nations have been invited to perform in Fuzhou, enriching this vibrant cultural exchange.

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Editor: Deng Chao | Article Source: Fuzhou Publicity Department

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