Kunqu opera masters Li An (right) and Yu Bin (left) performed "The Palace of Eternal Life·Little Banquet" at the China Pavilion of the Osaka World Expo. (Photo provided by Shanghai Kunqu Opera Troupe)

"Working hand in hand to the flowers, let the secret thoughts be scattered together. Under the pavilion of the cold, the wind and lotus reflect the water." This time, "Emperor Ming of Tang" and "Yang Guifei" were not visiting the imperial garden, but the Chinese Pavilion of the Osaka World Expo, which looks like the "Chinese Book Shop". On April 14, the elegant sound of Kunqu Opera sounded here, and the Shanghai Kunqu Opera Troupe brought popular lectures and short plays "Going to the Garden", "Going to the Heavenly Palace", "Amazing Dreams" and "Small Banquet" to tourists around the world. Chinese opera was very popular on the spot. The performance of "Going to the Garden" after the lecture was originally scheduled to be staged, and after receiving enthusiastic response from the audience, another performance was added.

On the evening of April 13, after the Shanghai Kunqu Opera Troupe arrived in Osaka, they immediately went to the China Pavilion of the Osaka World Expo to "spot the spot". "The China Pavilion is so beautiful!" Yu Bin, a famous Kunqu opera artist who played "Yang Guifei" in "The Palace of Changsheng·Little Banquet", told reporters, "Before leaving, I couldn't wait to search for pictures and videos online." Li An, who played "Tang Minghuang" in "Little Banquet", was also amazed by the China Pavilion. "At a glance, there are bamboo slips and Chinese characters, which are very Chinese characteristics." The architecture shows the profound Chinese culture in a static way, and Li An also hopes to use Kunqu opera to tell Chinese stories and spread the good voice of China. In his opinion, Kunqu Opera is a unified manifestation of harmony between nature and man. Whether it is the "It turns out that the colorful flowers bloom all over" in "The Peony Pavilion", or the "Hand to the Flowers" in "The Palace of Eternal Life", "It talks about the scenery, but it depicts the mood of the characters."

Regarding his appearance at the World Expo, Li An and Yu Bin, the old partners, dare not neglect at all. To adapt to the performance venue, the two conducted meticulous rehearsals with the band in Shanghai. Since I could only bring a small band, the main creator adjusted many of the sensational parts of the music. "We should show the feeling of Emperor Minghuang of Tang and Concubine Yang in the garden in the Chinese Pavilion. This is the time when the two have the highest emotional concentration, and the beauty of artistic conception is the first goal." Yu Bin said with a smile, "The performance should give full play to the characteristics of the opera without physical performance. The eyes see what is there and the nose smell the fragrance of flowers, and the natural environment should be explained clearly."

The staff has been reduced, but the results cannot be discounted. This time I went to Japan, Shangkun brought more than a dozen boxes to place costumes and headdresses, striving to bring the original Kunqu opera to the world. "Foreign audiences especially like fans embroidered with flowers and birds and patterns on costumes. We not only perform them for experts, but also let more people who do not understand Kunqu Opera understand and fall in love with this art." Yu Bin said, "For China, Kunqu Opera, and Shanghai Kunqu Opera Troupe, this is a platform worth cherishing and spreading and promoting opera culture."

After the trip to the Osaka World Expo, the Shanghai Kunqu Opera Troupe will take the Shinkansen to Tokyo without stopping, presenting "Sino-Japanese Yang Guifei" and "Peony Pavilion" at the Min Plaza Theater of Ota-ku, Tokyo and Waseda University respectively. "Sino-Japanese Yang Guifei" is a story of the story of Yang Guifei, which is starring Li An, Yu Bin, Shanghai Peking Opera actor Tian Hui, and Japanese Kabuki Binding Intangible Cultural Heritage inheritors Yugo Mizuki and Shizuki Fuji Shizuki. Through the collision and integration of different types of opera, it brings rich and diverse stage performances. (Wenhui Daily reporter Wang Xiaoli)

[Editor in charge: Tang Wei]