SHI YU/China Daily
Guidelines promote the development of traditional arts
On August 15, the General Administration of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council of China released national guidelines centered on cultural development during the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25). It is to promote socialist culture and transform China into a country with a solid foundation of culture and arts.
“China’s culture and art sector should focus on people and maintain high standards,” the guidelines said.
On August 17, the Working Group for Cultural System Reform and Development of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China released a statement detailing the guidelines and their significance.
“The 15-chapter, three-section document focuses on a wide range of issues, including a more civilized and healthier cyberspace environment, the creation of literary and artistic works, and the in-depth study and protection of cultural heritage.” said the statement. , adds that culture is the soul of a country and the key to national governance strategies.
“This development will ultimately meet people’s growing need for culture in their lives,” he said. “Thus their strength will be strengthened.”
The significance of these efforts was recognized even before the guidelines were introduced. In recent years, art works centering on Chinese traditional culture, especially theater works, have been highlighted at several important central meetings.
The document also emphasizes the importance of strengthening the influence of traditional culture and enhancing identity and national pride.
award-winning performances
On September 15th, the 13th China Art Festival closed with a ceremony held in Xiong’an New Area, Hebei Province.
Fifteen theatrical productions staged by national performing arts troupes stood out among hundreds of candidates for the Bunhua Award, the highest award for the national performing arts. The work reflected the importance of traditional culture and was well received by the audience.
One of the winners was “Poem Dance: A Legendary Landscape Painting Journey”, inspired by the famous painting “River and Mountain Panorama” by Wang Ximeng from the Song Dynasty (960-1279).
Produced by China Eastern Performing Arts Group, the dance drama, choreographed by Zhou Lia and Han Zheng, has become a national phenomenon with more than 150 performances in 28 cities since its premiere in Beijing last year.
“We received many messages from the audience saying that they were deeply moved by the performance, not only because of the beautiful dance moves, costumes and stage sets, but also because of their love of traditional culture,” said head Jin Xiaoyong. She is a member of the Chinese Oriental Performing Arts Group, which was founded in the 1950s. “The success of her dance drama proves that Chinese audiences are proud of their traditional culture, and it is a great mission for artists to produce more stage productions that incorporate traditional cultural stories. ”
The play Kimi-sensei, produced by the Yunnan Theater, also won the Bunka Prize. Directed by playwrights Wang Baosha and Changhao, the show premiered in Kunming, Yunnan last June and starred award-winning actress Li Hongmei.
A work depicting the life of Zhang Guimei, who was born in Heilongjiang Province in 1957.
After graduating from Lijiang Normal School, Ms. Zhang moved with her husband to Dali City in Yunnan Province, where she worked as a teacher. After her husband died in 1996, Ms. Zhang moved to Huaping county in Lijiang, where she taught at Huaping Girls’ High School and ran an orphanage.
Having donated more than 1 million yuan ($143,480) to schools over the past 30 years, Zhang has little savings. She still teaches at school and lives in a dormitory with female students.
Following in her footsteps, many of the school’s graduates have chosen to work remotely.
Last year, Mr. Zhang was one of the recipients of the 1st of July Medal, the highest honor given to members of the Communist Party of China.
“The troupe’s creative team spent 12 years preparing for the performance,” said Ma Jie, president of the Yunnan Theater Company. .”
Ma added, “One of the best ways to create a stage production is to observe real life and inspire the audience with real stories.”
acknowledged by amateurs
At the 13th China Art Festival, amateur works were also performed and competed for the Gun Star Award.
The performance was in line with guidelines encouragement to strengthen support for cultural institutions and grassroots community activities.
“Cultural resources also play an important role in revitalizing rural areas, and farmers are encouraged to organize their own art troupes, poetry festivals and exhibitions,” it said.
This year’s Qunxing Award was given to the choir and public square dancers for the first time.
A square dance called Together For A Shared Future was one of this year’s Qunxing winners. Beijing Daily reports that the routine is popular with dance lovers, with more than 3,300 of her cultural centers nationwide performing the dance, with an estimated 60 million people learning the dance.
“Square dancing has become a daily pastime for many people. By combining music and dance, it is a cultural activity that people can enjoy while enjoying art.”
Online
One of the highlights of the new guidelines is the development of cultural and artistic creativity and production, including a wide range of art forms such as literature, theatre, film, television, music, dance and fine arts. Art institutions are encouraged to produce works by expanding their audience online.
Traditional Chinese operas such as Peking Opera, Kunqu Opera and Jade Opera have been revived through online streaming performances.
Zhao Yafei of the Beijing Overseas Cultural Exchange Center said, “Online platforms have become the second stage of China’s traditional art form, and new audiences have been created thanks to online platforms, as the guidelines state.
In 2020, the center launched a series of online programs. This is part of a collective effort titled “Beijing Opera Cultural Tour” that invites Peking Opera artists and experts to participate in a program that combines performances, master classes and sightseeing.
For example, Mr. Sun Ying, an inheritor of intangible cultural heritage and a veteran handicraft worker at the Beijing Playground Equipment Factory, gave an online tour of the facility on August 8th.
The factory produced costumes worn by Beijing opera masters such as Mei Langfang (1894-1961), Ma Liangliang (1901-66) and Chen Yangqiu (1904-58).
According to Zhao, more than 2 million people watched the online tour to learn about the masters of opera and how they made their costumes.
The Peking Opera Cultural Tour was launched in 2010 to commemorate the 230th anniversary of the Peking Opera, or Peking Opera, which was recognized as the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2010.