“Chinese Opera Cultural Week” shines in Malmö

The second major performance of “Chinese Opera Cultural Week”, co-hosted by National Academy of Chinese Theatre Arts and China Cultural Center in Stockholm, was staged on September 26 at Malmö’s Slagthuset Theatre, featuring classic Peking Opera excerpts. Nearly 900 guests attended, including representatives from education, culture, arts, business, and other sectors across seven provinces under the Gothenburg consular district, as well as overseas Chinese and international students. The event received strong support from Consulate General in Gothenburg, Kinesiska Riksförbundet i Sverige, Svenska Småland Kinesisk Förening, Hua Ding Chinese-Swedish Cultural Association, and Chinese Students and Scholars Association at Lund University. It stands as the largest traditional Chinese cultural performance held in southern Sweden in recent years. The Gothenburg consular district and local Chinese communities warmly welcomed the delegation from the National Academy of Chinese Theatre Arts. Consul-General Yang Peidong of Consulate General in Gothenburg; Li Rui, Director of China Cultural Center in Stockholm; Wang Yuan, Deputy Head of the delegation from the National Academy of Chinese Theatre Arts; Wang Hongjiang, Chairman of Kinesiska Riksförbundet i Sverige, and others attended the event.

Amid the powerful rhythms of drums and music, teachers and students from National Academy of Chinese Theatre Arts presented four classic Peking opera excerpts: Picking up the Jade Bracelet, At the Crossroads, The Legend of the White Snake: Sightseeing at West Lake, and Havoc in Heaven. The audience responded with thunderous applause, expressing admiration for the exquisite performance and elaborate makeup in Picking up the Jade Bracelet. They were particularly delighted by the lively and humorous performance of Swedish actor Timothy Pilotti in At the Crossroads, whose wordless yet expressive stage presence spoke volumes. The performance by renowned Peking Opera artist Li Shengsu in The Legend of the White Snake: Sightseeing at West Lake captivated the entire audience, allowing them to fully appreciate the charm of a Peking Opera master and the enduring appeal of this classic work. In Havoc in Heaven, the Monkey King’s intricate movements and intense martial arts sequences, along with the grand lineup and stunning visual presentation of the performers, earned a full house of cheers.

Prominent Swedish attendees, including renowned pianist Magnus Sven Martensson, former rector of Linnaeus University and Halmstad University Stephen Hwang, and well-known think tank expert Jan Oberg, along with other members of the audience, unanimously expressed that culture serves as the best bond to bring people closer. They described the performance as the most brilliant and captivating cultural display they had ever seen, surpassing their prior understanding and expectations of traditional Chinese culture. Such events, they noted, are highly beneficial for enhancing local understanding of China and promoting friendly exchanges between the two peoples. They expressed hope for more opportunities to engage with and learn about China in the future. They firmly believe that cultural and artistic exchanges will undoubtedly bring a brighter future to Chinese-Swedish regional cooperation and people-to-people friendship.

On September 26, students and faculty from National Academy of Chinese Theatre Arts also organized Peking opera pop-up shows at landmarks in Malmö and other parts of southern Sweden. They held “Splendid Colors of the Painted Stage” – Exhibition of Chinese Xiqu Stage Art and Chinese opera workshops. These innovative formats broke the boundaries of traditional theater spaces, allowing local Swedes and tourists to encounter Chinese opera in streets and alleys.