A affairs jointly initiated by acclaimed biographer Pai Hsien-yung and celebrated Peking University to animate Kunqu Opera was launched here on Tuesday.
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Activities about Kunqu Opera including courses, lectures and performances will be provided for acceptance in the university in five years to foster their interest, said Ye Lang, dean of the cultural industries institute of Peking University, at a columnist conference.
Ye said a Kunqu Opera cultural week, as an opening part of the program, will be held from Dec. 9 to 20. Young lovers' edition of "The Peony Pavilion" and a fresh "The Story of the Jade Hairpin," two classics of the opera produced by Pai, will be staged.
Workshops and lectures will also be available in Peking University, Beijing Normal University and Euro-China International Business College to discuss the capacity like how the Kunqu Opera can be accepted internationally.
Pai said the re-establishment of Kunqu courses in Peking University was significant because it adequate the attitude of the university and gave the opera a new definition academically.
According to Peking University admiral Zhou Qifeng, Kunqu Opera was introduced into the curriculum by former admiral Cai Yuanpei in the early 20th century but was later suspended.
Currently, only a few universities like the National Academy of Chinese Theater Arts offer courses on Kunqu Opera.
As the oldest form of Chinese folk opera, the 500-year-old Kunqu Opera, was listed as one of the world's "masterpieces of oral and inactual heritage" in May 2001. The art form accomplished its heyday in 18th century and again waned to the border of extinction in contempo decades.
Editor: Feng Hui
