Confucius Institute at Adam Mickiewicz University in Poland Held Peking Opera and Shadow Puppetry Play Successfully

June 12, 2012 was the days when Europe Cup was going on, and Poznan was the one of the spots of Europe Cup matches held, where the football events drew the attention of the local people. But unexpectedly, hundreds of people hurried to the grand Opera Theatre on time in order to view the shadow puppetry show “Ghost Youliu” organized by Confucius Institute at Adam Mickiewicz University by booking tickets.

Shadow puppet play has been known as an ancient type of Chinese „movie”, and has been viewed as traditional folk art that can best demonstrate the lingering charm of a combination of vision and actuality in Chinese culture. “All things can be sung by one mouth and millions of soldiers are performed by two hands”. For a long period of history shadow puppetry has become an enchanting part of traditional Chinese culture.

Shadow puppetry “Ghost Youliu” was jointly planed by Han Chi, director of Han Feizi Company, and Sarah Oppenheim, renown young French director, and Han Feizi, Poet and playwright, was invited to rewrite traditional Chinese classic play “Death of Judge of Hell” in innovation into a magic Peking Opera and shadow puppetry combined with traditional Chinese Peking Opera art and shadow puppet art.

Han Feizi Company, visiting and playing in France, was invited to play in Poznan by Confucius Institute at Adam Mickiewicz University.

Live scene photo at Poznan Grand Opera Theatre: combination of shadow puppetry and Peking Opera

Live scene photo at Poznan Grand Opera Theatre: fascinating shadow puppets

Live scene photo at Poznan Grand Opera Theatre: Peking Opera aria by Judge of Hell

In the play Peking Opera was combined harmoniously with shadow puppet show, a alternative shift of stage and shadow screen, which enhanced the effect of stage. The combination of the two types of arts at one stage enabled viewers to enjoy the two wonderful traditional Chinese arts, bringing them to a more magic artistic conception.

In order to help viewers knew well about the play, the play was carefully translated into Polish subtitles by Polish teachers of Confucius Institute at Adam Mickiewicz University, so that Polish friends could understand the play and singing in the play well. They were moved by the moving story of the play, and shocked by the exquisite Peking Opera art. Laughter and applause were heard from time to time in the silent theatre during the play.

The Peking Opera and shadow puppetry show was a big success and caused great echo.

All the viewers said excitedly that this was the first time for them to feel wonderful traditional Chinese Peking Opera and shadow puppet arts, and they gave their heartfelt congratulations on the successful show of the play.

The successful show of the Peking Opera and shadow puppetry play is the first attempt of commercial operation for Chinese cultural performances by mode of tickets, aiming at find a new way of more and better cultural exchanges by Confucius Institutes under the constitution and by-laws of the Confucius Institutes.

Live scene photo at Poznan Grand Opera Theatre: Peking Opera aria by Bao Zheng, young lady Liu Jinchan and Ghost Youliu

Live scene photo at Poznan Grand Opera Theatre: beautiful photo of Ghost Youliu and young lady Liu Jinchan

Advertisement for Peking Opera and shadow puppetry show by Confucius Institute at Adam Mickiewicz University

Live scene photo at Poznan Grand Opera Theatre: photo of Ghost Youliu

Yang Jianhua Confucius Institute at Adam Mickiewicz University