Appreciation of a Fine Work | The Utmost Truth and Beauty of “The Peony Pavilion”

“Love arises without knowing whence; once kindled, it burns deep. The living may die, and the dead may live. But to be born yet unable to die, and to die yet unable to return to life—”

Appreciation of a Fine Work | Zheng Rongjian: A Grand Dream—The Peony Pavilion: Reflections on the Shanghai Kunqu Opera Company’s Complete Production of “The Peony Pavilion”

As one of China’s four great classical operas, Tang Xianzu’s “The Peony Pavilion” has long been held in high esteem and secured its status as a timeless classic from an early stage. As scholar Zhou Yude has demonstrated, although upon its publication it was “passed from house to house, with nearly everyone reciting it, to the point that even “The West Chamber” seemed to pale in comparison,” various factors meant that most performances were presented in abridged versions or as excerpts, with few documented full‑length stagings. By contrast, the Shanghai Kunqu Opera Troupe’s three‑night, eight‑hour run of the complete “The Peony Pavilion” offered audiences a rare glimpse of the work in its entirety—truly a major event on the 2023 performance calendar and, viewed within the broader history of Kunqu opera, a milestone of considerable significance.

Event Information | The sixth session of the “Young Docent Summer Cultural Workshop” is about to begin!

On July 6, the sixth “Young Docent” selection event, hosted by the Tang Xianzu Memorial Hall in Fuzhou City and co-organized by the Jiangxi Yaolan Daily (Linchuan) Junior Reporter Station, officially kicked off in the second-floor hall of Qingyuan Tower. More than sixty young contestants took to the stage, each showcasing their unique talents.

The Twenty-Four Solar Terms at the Soup House | Minor Heat

Every year, from July 6 to 8, when the Sun reaches a celestial longitude of 105°, the solar term “Xiaoshu” (Minor Heat) begins. Xiaoshu is the eleventh of the Twenty-Four Solar Terms. According to the “Collection and Explanation of the Seventy-Two Hou in the Monthly Ordinances,” “Xiaoshu falls in the sixth month; ‘shu’ means heat, and within this heat we distinguish between ‘small’ and ‘great.’ At the beginning of the month it is ‘small,’ but now the heat is still mild.” With the onset of Xiaoshu, the “plum rain” season in the Jianghuai region draws to a close—marking the end of the plum rains. Meanwhile, on July 11, the first period of the Dog Days begins, heralding the height of summer’s intense heat.

July 1st, Party Founding Day | Stay True to Our Original Aspiration and Keep Our Mission Firmly in Mind

By studying the history of the Party, we can connect the arduous yet glorious past, the rapidly changing present, and the bright and grand future; continually reaffirm the original aspiration and mission of Communists; and further strengthen our faith in Marxism, our conviction in socialism and communism, and our confidence in realizing the Chinese Dream of national rejuvenation.

Learning Updates | Our museum actively participated in the “Becoming a Competent Cultural Heritage Professional” classroom session and the “Local Museum Curatorial Exchange” symposium.

To further explore pathways for achieving high-quality development of museums in the new era, on June 26, two renowned experts—Xiong He Shui, deputy director of the Nanchang Former Site Museum of the New Fourth Army Headquarters, and Zhou Guangming, editor of Southern Cultural Relics—visited Fuzhou. They delivered a lecture titled “Becoming a Competent Cultural Heritage Professional” and chaired a symposium on “Curatorial Exchange among Local Museums,” respectively. More than 40 participants from the Municipal Museum, the Tang Xianzu Memorial Hall, the Wang Anshi Memorial Hall, and the Municipal Cultural Relics Protection Center attended the event.