Culture and Arts: Bond of Minds and Hearts Chengdu and Chongqing Joining Hands with Sichuan Opera Li Yaxian to Show the Charm of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Hong Kong SAR

On the evening of April 28， the Sichuan Opera House of Chongqing collaborated with the Sichuan Opera Theater of Chengdu to perform the Sichuan opera Li Yaxian at the Xiqu Centre in West Kowloon Cultural District， Hong Kong SAR.

At the invitation of the Xiqu Centre， Liu Qi， former Secretary of the Party Committee and Director of the Chongqing Municipal Commission of Culture and Tourism Development， led a team to Hong Kong SAR for a three-day visiting performance， comprehensively showcasing the unique charm of Sichuan opera， a national intangible cultural heritage.

Sichuan opera is a local opera mainly popular in the Bashu region with a long history and unique skills. It was listed as the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage in 2006. Under the guidance of the Strategic Cooperation Framework Agreement on Advancing Culture and Art in Chengdu-Chongqing Twin-Hub Mega-Region， this visiting performance marks an important exchange activity themed “Culture and Arts： Bond of Minds and Hearts” promoting cultural coordinated development of Chengdu-Chongqing Twin-Hub Mega-Region， with Chengdu and Chongqing being on the same stage of Sichuan opera for the first time.

The leading actress in the performance is Shen Tiemei， who is Vice Chairwoman of the China Theatre Association， Chairwoman of the Chongqing Federation of Literary and Art Circles， and Director-General of Sichuan Opera House of Chongqing， and also a winner of the Plum Blossom Award. She plays Li Yaxian with her unique vocal charm of “integrating the character in the tunes”， winning the hearts of the audience in Hong Kong SAR. Wang Chao， Deputy Director of the Sichuan Opera Theater of Chengdu， the winner of the 26th China Theatre Plum Blossom Award， and a famous Sichuan opera performing artist， portrays Zheng Yuanhe with a melodious and pure vocal style， and a refined and graceful posture， presenting a perfect interpretation of the young male lead in the Sichuan opera.

The Sichuan opera Li Yaxian， known as the Chinese version of La Traviata， takes “l(fā)ove” as its theme. It combines visual appeal， artistic quality， and ideological significance. Its premiere left many Hong Kong SAR audiences entranced and impressed， calling it a perfect combination of traditional and modern stage art.

In addition， the Sichuan Opera House of Chongqing also presented a special performance of opera highlights， showcasing the Sichuan opera art from multiple perspectives.