"My career is writing short stories, but my passion is Kunqu opera." These are the words of Bai Xianyong, one of modern Chinese literature's most famous short storywriters as well as a literature professor who recently turned to a new project -- Kunqu opera.

The youth-version Peony Pavilion he worked out with first-class creativity designers from Chinese mainland, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, and China's Taiwan Province has been staged in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Suzhou (East China's Jiangsu Province), Beijing, and Shanghai , attracting large crowds of young people wherever it goes.

Peony Pavilion, like West Chamber and A Dream of Red Mansions, is another pinnacle of Chinese romantic literature. Famed for its elegant lyrics and beautiful melodies, the play has been a classic repertoire of Kunqu opera. The widespread popularity of Peony Pavilion has given a boost to the once depressed Kunqu opera, which is inseparable from Bai Xianyong's continuous efforts.

Aiming to endear more people to the charm of Kunqu opera, Bai, a self-claimed lifelong devotee of Kunqu opera, devoted enormous time and money to forge the youth version, which has been staged on many campuses, attracting large crowds of young people in each place. As Bai said, he hopes those who watch the opera will become promoters of Kunqu opera by producing Kunqu operas on their own, or at least by supporting and following the opera.

  A Brief Introduction of Bai Xianyong

Bai Xianyong, a contemporary writer, was born in 1937 in Guilin of South China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. The son of Bai Chongxi, a general of the Kuo Min Tang, Bai spent his childhood in Southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, and later moved with his parents to live in Nanjing (Jiangsu), Hong Kong, and finally Taiwan.

After graduating from Taipei Chien Kuo High School, Bai entered Tainan Cheng Kung University and a year later, began his studies at the Foreign Language Department of Taiwan University.

Page:

1

2

3

4

5

All rights reserved. Reproduction of text for non-commercial purposes is permitted provided that both the source and author are acknowledged and a notifying email is sent to us.