Cantonese Opera exhibition opens today

The costumes of Cantonese Opera artist Chun Siu Lay

The Macau Museum will host an exhibition starting from today on Cantonese Opera culture, as part of the 27th Macao Arts Festival. The exhibition, titled “The Enchanting Red Boat – An Episode of the Cantonese Opera Culture,” will be open to the public until October 9.
The exhibition will feature nearly 100 artifacts relating to Cantonese Opera, provided by various associations and organizations. These include the costumes of renowned Cantonese Opera artist, Chun Siu Lay, and traditional bamboo Chinese instruments made by musician, Li Yui-cho.
According to a statement from the Macau Museum, the title of the exhibition, “Red Boat,” highlights the origin of Cantonese Opera, referring to the boats painted in red in which Cantonese Opera troupes were toured in, via the dense river network of Guangdong Province. These troupes were known as “red boat troupes,” but essentially vanished due to the transgressions of the Civil War in the 1950s.

The name also bears resemblance to the color of the traditional costumes and sets of the performances.
Biographies of celebrated Cantonese Opera conductors will also be presented, as will other artifacts, illustrating the history, development and presentation of the art form in the region.
One part of the exhibition will feature an educational area on the theme of Emperor Hua Guang, who is respected as a patron saint by Cantonese Opera artists.
Cantonese Opera, also known as “Guangdong Drama,” is a distinctive local culture and art, with many repertoires having been inherited from “Zaju,” a variety show of the Yuan dynasty.
Originating in Guangdong and Guangxi Provinces in the Ming dynasty, Cantonese Opera became popular in the Pearl River Delta and burgeoned in the late-Qing dynasty.
The form of opera was inscribed on the tentative list of the region’s Intangible Cultural Heritage List in 2006 and was also recognized by UNESCO, as testimony to its artistic value and significance. DB