Initiated in 2000, China Kunju Opera
Festival is sponsored by the Ministry of Culture, Government of Jiangsu
Province, Suzhou Municipal Government, and jointly organized by Kunju Opera
Promoting Committee of the Ministry of Culture, Jiangsu Cultural Department,
Suzhou Cultural Bureau, and Kunshan Municipal Government, with the assistance of
Kunju Opera Research Organization, etc.
China Kunju Opera Festival aims at
preserving and developing Kunju opera while promoting the exchanges among Kunju
opera fans all over the world. Besides competitions, the festival also holds
various exhibitions, celebration performances, seminars, parties and so on. The
government has issued special postcards and first-day envelopes for the
festival.
The First China Kunju Opera Festival was
held in Kunshan and Suzhou of Jiangsu Province from March 31 to April 6, 2000.
The second festival is to be held in Suzhou in June 2003.
(Official website:
http://www.culture.sh.cn/suzhou_kunju/index.htm)