Chongqing - The Sichuanese Opera "Sister Jiang" won the 17th Wenhua Prize at the China Art Festival in mid-September this year. It represented the second time they have won this prestigious accolade, 22 years after their last success.

Dubbed the "Ceiling for Chinese stage art," the Wenhua Prize offers the highest governmental recognition for stage performances in China. It marks a new starting point for Sichuanese Opera to reach more significant audiences.

Shen Tiemei is the director of the Chongqing Sichuanese Opera Theatre and deputy chairwoman of the China Theatre Association. Following the latest success of "Sister Jiang," stated that in the next step, they will focus on performances, creativity, and talent to bring the public more exciting themes.

The Chongqing Sichuanese Opera House stands majestically in the central Yubei District and holds live performances open to the public. (iChongqing/James Alexander)

"We aim to boldly innovate dramatized storylines based on modern-day topics and make breakthroughs in recreating the spirit of Bayu culture and creating positive energy through our works," commented Shen.

This Sichuanese opera troupe had already performed 'Sister Jiang' on around 100 occasions, but to compete for the Wenhua Prize, Shen and her team strived for more significant innovation through aesthetics, expression, thought, art, and local characteristics.

Despite the record-breaking heat experienced in Chongqing this summer, more than 100 actors gathered to rehearse their lines and moves for over 600 hours spread over 40 days. Sleeping on mats in their costumes became the norm for the tireless performers.

Traditional performance art continues energetic revival

Sichuanese opera is a national item of intangible cultural heritage and a treasure of Chinese traditional culture with deep local connotations from Southwest China. In recent years, the Theatre has pooled available resources to publicize this art form so that refined traditional culture can root firmly in the hearts of audience members.

The Chongqing Sichuanese Opera Theatre has featured in numerous international events for artistic exchange, such as the art festivals held by the Lincoln Center in New York and other themed events in Toronto and Wiesbaden. They have also performed in over 30 countries and regions so that Chinese culture can reach international audiences.

The Sichuanese opera troupe of Chongqing University performed live in Spain in 2018 as the art form reached ever wider audiences. (Photo provided to iChongqing)

In the meantime, Shen has organized training activities based on Sichuanese opera for school campuses to foster greater public interest and achieve future development. The good news is that more young people have gained a passion for this traditional art form, such as the Chongqing University student Chen Chen, who began attending a theatre society on campus to learn to perform Sichuanese opera.

A representative from the Municipal Commission of Culture and Tourism commented on the status of Sichuanese opera in light of the Wenhua Prize. 'This is a wonderful cultural name card for Chongqing. We hope to maintain live performance at the core as we strive for new openings and promote Sichuanese opera to the next level.'