Communicating Through Traditional Theaters

As a series of art events such as China-ASEAN Theatrical Week and China-ASEAN Traditional Opera Festival have taken place in recent years， traditional theaters of China and ASEAN countries which mirror each nation’s respective cultural characteristics and social development have grabbed great interest from people both within China and across ASEAN， providing a platform for mutual understanding.

Thanks to such art events， classical theatrical productions including Chinese Nuotang Opera Valiant General Cutting into a Mountain and Cambodian shadow play Ramayana have been promoted， enriching people’s cultural lives while bringing fresh impetus to theatrical studies across the region.

Insight into Chinese Dramas

Featuring brisk rhythms， hilarious scenes and mysterious yet delicate masks， Nuotang Opera Valiant General Cutting into a Mountain wowed an audience from Southeast Asian countries at the First China-ASEAN Traditional Opera Festival held on July 28 in southwestern China’s Guizhou Province.

Nuotang Opera， an ancient folk drama traditionally performed as part of sacrificial rituals but still popular today among the Tujia ethnic group in Guizhou， is dubbed a “living fossil of Chinese drama”. Interestingly， it is not unfamiliar to many in Southeast Asia. Emily Aump， a student from Chiang Mai， Thailand， said that she learned about Nuotang Opera during a trip to Guiyang， capital of Guizhou Province， when she was a high school student. The occasion， she said， was unforgettable. Later， while attending university， she learned the history of the art form from an instructor and became familiar with the plots of classic plays such as Valiant General Cutting into a Mountain， sparking her interest in cultural features and historical legends unique to China.

“My Chinese is not good enough， so I read [Chinese literary classic] Romance of the Three Kingdoms in English，” she said. “I also peruse some books on Chinese history for a better understanding of traditional Chinese operas， especially their diverse arias and unique forms.”

Aump added that as a Peking Opera and Yue Opera （also known as Shaoxing Opera） fan， she is particularly interested in the aria of the play “Invisible Connection” in the Yue Opera Dream of the Red Chamber and the spectacular scenes of the Peking Opera play “Havoc in Heaven”. She said she admires China’s many brilliant practitioners of such art forms.

After watching the performances of traditional Chinese operas， an actor from Singapore’s Nam Hwa Opera Limited remarked： “Chinese operas feature distinctive methods of performance. Though we cannot completely understand their language， they share common ground with us in the form of theatrical expression， so that we at least can figure out local customs and approaches to art by viewing the performance.”

Greater Interest in Southeast Asian Operas

It was only recently that Chinese audiences gained access to traditional theater from Southeast Asian countries. Wang Qi， who used to volunteer as a Chinese teacher in Thailand， recalled her first contact with Khon， a traditional Thai masked dance， in the third week of her work in Thailand at the invitation of a Thai colleague.

The moment the curtain rose， Wang said she was overwhelmed by the awesome stage setting and the performers’ fabulous costumes. Later on， as dancers zoomed onto stage at various times， making striking movements accompanied by rhythms with penetrating power played on the xylophone， she found herself immersed in the distinctive solemnity and elegance exhibited by the traditional Thai art.

“My feeling at that moment was that it would be great if my friends back home could have a chance to watch all this，” Wang explained. “I suddenly realized that for anything that captures you at the first sight， you’re sure to want to learn everything about it， including its origin， its birthplace and those who have inherited its legacy.”

Wang thus began searching for written materials concerning Khon， which in turn became an opportunity for her to interact with her Thai colleagues and students， helping her to better integrate herself with the local community.

Like Wang Qi， a teacher surnamed Jun from a Beijing high school said he fell in love with the Cambodian shadow puppet performance Ramayana the first time he saw it. The show inspired him to discover the artistic appeal of Cambodian shadow plays and the history behind the Hindu epic Ramayana. “China is geographically close to ASEAN countries， and we should increase exchanges in culture and art，” he said.

Cultural Exchange and Theatrical Studies

Experts from China and ASEAN alike expressed their support and appreciation for theatrical exchanges between China and ASEAN countries， sharing the view that this effort is of great significance to joint theatrical studies while also enhancing people-to-people communication.

Dr. Chua Soo Pong， a senior research fellow at the Singapore University of Social Sciences and the founding director of the Chinese Opera Institute of Singapore， pointed out that cultural exchange is inherently centered around people and traditional dramas， which originate from everyday life， can play an important role in boosting mutual understanding. Cultural exchanges will also provide opportunities for Chinese performers to meet their counterparts in ASEAN countries， thus giving artists on both sides an opportunity to broaden their artistic horizons， improve their performing skills and explore their untapped potential.

Zhu Hong， president of the Guizhou Opera Theater of Guizhou Province， noted that China and ASEAN countries enjoy geographical， cultural and linguistic proximity and the diverse theatrical forms of China and ASEAN countries are legacies of art exchanges through the centuries.

“Vietnamese traditional opera took my breath away as a single actress changed five sets of clothing onstage to play five different roles，” Zhu said. “Such a unique and powerful performing art is worth studying.”

Ning Yinglie， deputy secretary of the Party committee of Guangxi Teachers Education University， suggested that experts and scholars conduct targeted in-depth discussions around certain plays. Ning added that they could also carry out field investigations and publish academic reports.