Chinese New Year celebration with the Zhejiang Wu Opera Troupe at the Niš National Theater

In cooperation with the Government of the Republic of Serbia, the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Serbia and the Belt and Road Institute, the Niš National Theater is hosting the Chinese opera Zhejiang Wu Opera Troupe on January 29, which will be performed on the occasion of the Chinese New Year celebration.

The welcome and address by officials of the Government of the Republic of Serbia, the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Serbia, representatives of the local self-government unit and the Belt and Road Institute starts at 7pm, and the performance of the Zhejiang Wu Opera Troupe at 7:15pm.

Zhejiang Wu Opera Research Institute was founded in 1956 as Zhejiang Wu Opera Troupe. Famous Chinese leaders Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai, Jiang Zemin, Zhu Rongji, Xi Jinping, Li Keqiang and many others watched their performances. Since 2009, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the People’s Republic of China has entrusted this troupe with the mission of touring around the world, and their performances have graced the stages in Singapore, USA, France, Austria, Germany, Portugal, Brazil, Cuba, Peru, South Africa, Malawi, Zambia, and 51 other countries around the world. Participating in cultural exchanges, the troupe had more than 300 performances, and within the project of the Chinese Ministry of Culture “Happy Chinese New Year”, the opera was seen by two million viewers. It is one of the most popular Chinese artistic troupes and is considered an authentic representative of the culture of Zhejiang Province and the entire People’s Republic of China.

The troupe consists of 27 artists, dancers, singers and musicians. The performance consists of operettas that contain traits from everyday life. It begins with a performance with the Sea Dragon, through which the audience is invited to active participation, and then the story develops through a series of interesting and humorous twists. Within the opera there are also two solo parts, where the musicians perform compositions on Suona and Hui Hu traditional instruments. Wu Opera or Jinhua Opera, has a history of over 500 years. It contains six different vocal styles, a rich, visually pleasing and effective way to evoke everyday life. Since 2008, it has been classified as a national intangible cultural asset.

The performance lasts 1 hour and 45 minutes, and free tickets for this performance can be picked up at the theater box office. The opening hours of the ticket office next week are from 11am to 2:30pm and from 5pm to 8pm.

The entry into the Year of the Dragon is planned to acquaint the citizens of Serbia with the rich culture of the People’s Republic of China through a series of cultural events. These activities are aimed at strengthening ties in the field of culture and exchange of values between the People’s Republic of China and the Republic of Serbia, promoting mutual understanding, friendship and cooperation within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative.

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