On August 14, the “Culture Tour of Beijing Opera · Beauty of Cycling” event for Overseas Chinese Student Community Leaders was held with success. This event marks one of the first study tours for Overseas Chinese Student Community Leaders during the summer season. More than 40 overseas Chinese students embarked on a journey to seek the roots of Beijing Opera, starting from the “landmark stone marking the birthplace of Beijing Opera” and cycling through the city’s Central Axis, before enjoying a captivating performance of Beijing Opera classics like “Ye Ben” (literally, “Night Run”). This event offered a unique learning and cultural experience, allowing the students to personally appreciate the charm of Beijing Opera from various perspectives.
“Culture Tour of Beijing Opera · Beauty of Cycling”
Cycling Along the Central Axis
Exploring the Charm of Beijing Opera Combined with the Modern Way of Life
The cycling tour started from the birthplace of Beijing Opera and traversed landmarks like Zhengyi Temple, Hepingmen, Zhengyangmen, Wangfujing, and Chang’an Grand Theater, before finally arriving at the Cultural Space of Beijing Overseas Cultural Exchanges Center. The cycling route combined the Beijing Opera culture and Central Axis culture, centered around the localities in the “Mini-map of Culture Tour of Beijing Opera” applet, allowing the cyclists to immerse themselves in the distinct cultural ambiance of Beijing.
Cyclists Waving at Citizens
Group Photo at Zhengyi Temple
After the cycling tour, the students said that this immersive experience of the history of Beijing Opera allowed them to slow their pace amid their busy academic schedules, and appreciate the profound culture of Beijing as China’s capital city. It ignited their passion for the Chinese way of “happy life”.
Cyclists Taking Photos
Cycling at Zhengyangmen
The cycling tour added a touch of fashionable and green lifestyle to the profound cultural traditions of Beijing Opera, promoting a green and low-carbon way of life. The tour extended the influence of Beijing Opera into daily life scenes, achieving a deep integration of culture and tourism.
Interactive Cultural Experience with Beijing Opera
Experiential Beijing Opera Performances Bring Intangible Cultural Heritage back to Life
After the delightful cycling tour, the students returned to the Cultural Space of Beijing Overseas Cultural Exchanges Center for an interactive cultural experience with Beijing Opera. Jiang Kebing from the Jingju Theater Company of Beijing elaborated on the four main characteristics of Beijing Opera: comprehensiveness, exaggeration, stylization, and virtuality. Jiang Kebing introduced the origin of Beijing Opera, costumes, props, and the performing techniques. Following the introduction, the students watched classic Beijing Opera excerpts, including “Night Run”, “Autumn River”, and “Havoc in Heaven”, presented by the Jingju Theater Company of Beijing. This allowed the overseas returned Chinese students to fully experience the profound charm of the Beijing Opera performance art.
Learning About Beijing Opera
The “experiential” stage at the event bridged the gap between the artists and the audience, enabling the latter to feel the strong expressiveness and artistic appeal of Beijing Opera at close range and from different angles. Many said that it was their first time being so close to Beijing Opera, with one student exclaiming, “Beijing Opera is so beautiful. It deserves to be seen by more people worldwide. I would like to contribute my part to promoting Beijing Opera”.
Classic Beijing Opera Highlight “Night Run”
Classic Beijing Opera Highlight “Autumn River”
Classic Beijing Opera Highlight “Havoc in Heaven”
Cultural Exchange and Shared Appreciation
Collaborative Efforts to Help Traditional Chinese Culture Go Global
The Overseas Chinese Student Community Leaders 2023 & “Culture Tour of Beijing Opera · Beauty of Cycling” event was held under the supervision of the Department of International Cooperation and Exchange of the Ministry of Education. It was hosted by the Chinese Service Center for Scholarly Exchange, and organized by the Beijing Overseas Talents Center and the Beijing Overseas Cultural Exchanges Center.
The Event Site
The “Culture Tour of Beijing Opera” was created as a signature project in 2020 by the Beijing Overseas Cultural Exchanges Center at the 230th anniversary of Huiban (Anhui opera troupes)’s entry into Beijing, which marked the origin of Beijing Opera. The event has focused on exploring the cultural connotations of Beijing Opera, aiming to facilitate an in-depth interpretation of Beijing Opera in the context of Beijing’s history and culture. The event has introduced innovative themes suitable for overseas communication, enhancing the “visibility” of Beijing Opera among its target audience. Over the three years since the launch of the project, the Baidu Index for the keyword “Beijing Opera” has increased tenfold. The “Culture Tour of Beijing Opera” has consistently dominated the hotlists of platforms such as Weibo, Douyin (TikTok), and Facebook, reaching millions of people both in China and internationally, significantly contributing to the global visibility of Beijing Opera.
