Work Summary of the Tang Xianzu Memorial Hall in Fuzhou for 2022

In accordance with the work plan formulated at the beginning of 2022 by the Tang Xianzu Memorial Hall in Fuzhou City, the main achievements for 2022 are summarized as follows: I. Strengthening Team Building and Solidly Advancing Party Organization Development (1) Implementing Party Building Work 1. Guided by Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, we organized Party members and cadres to thoroughly study the spirit of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, as well as the spirit of the 15th Provincial Party Congress and the 5th Municipal Party Congress. We rigorously enforced the system of intra‑Party life, conducting a total of 12 themed Party‑day activities, 5 special events, 4 specialized Party lectures, 4 plenary meetings of Party members, and 24 branch committee meetings throughout the year.

Opera Trivia | In the world of opera, which role is the most arduous yet receives the smallest share of the performance?

In the world of opera, there is a type of role that receives the least attention yet performs the most arduous work and is given the fewest lines; if you were to guess, you would surely recognize it as the “extra.” Yet this humble “extra,” despite his lowly station, is in fact an indispensable figure in the theatrical ensemble.

Opera Trivia | How many regional opera genres are still performed in China today?

According to surveys conducted in the late 1950s, there were a total of 368 local opera genres across the country, representing various ethnic groups. In other words, even if you watched one opera genre every day, it would still take more than a year to see them all. However, as of August 31, 2015, 19 of these genres had already disappeared, while one had been revived.

Opera Trivia | Opera Terms in Everyday Life

Opera has been passed down for a thousand years, with its four traditional roles—sheng, dan, jing, and chou—its melodious and ever‑changing vocal styles, and its exquisitely graceful movements; even a fleeting glimpse can draw one deeply into its world. Opera is a source of pride for the Chinese people, and the culture it embodies has long been woven into our everyday lives—most visibly in the many words and expressions we use in our daily routines.

Opera Trivia | Does the term “Liyuan disciple” refer not to opera performers but to instrumentalists? And where did this designation actually originate?

The term “Liyuan disciples” originally did not refer to opera performers, but rather to instrumental musicians. According to a passage in the “Old Book of Tang—Treatise on Rites and Music,” Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty, Li Longji, was deeply fond of music and highly proficient in musical theory; he particularly admired the refined “Fadian” style. Consequently, he selected 300 musicians and had them trained exclusively in the imperial palace’s Liyuan Garden to perform the “Fadian.” With Li Longji personally overseeing their instruction, these musicians came to be known as the “Emperor’s Liyuan Disciples,” thus giving rise to the phrase “Liyuan disciples.”

Opera Trivia | Singing Opera Depends Entirely on Vital Energy and Spirit—Techniques for Retaining Breath, Changing Breath, Stealing Breath, and Raising Breath

There’s a common saying in the world of Chinese opera: “To sing, one must rely entirely on spirit and energy.” Among these, qi—vital energy—is especially crucial for singing and recitation; as the saying goes, “qi is the source of sound.” It’s like the wind blowing against a windowpane in winter: the stronger the wind, the louder the sound; the weaker the wind, the softer it becomes. The human voice operates on the same principle. For an actor to have a fine voice, they must possess ample qi—only with sufficient qi can the vocal cavity produce a sweet, resonant tone. To maintain robust qi, one needs a healthy body; this is the fundamental prerequisite. Beyond that, one must also master techniques such as conserving qi, changing breath, borrowing qi, and lifting qi.