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(Lee Ngor, veteran
broadcaster)
Does anyone know that
the first Chinese opera was performed in a pear orchard, and why it was
a pear orchard?
Veteran broadcaster
Mr Lee Ngor, who is also a lover of this ancient art, has the whole story
to tell us. It all started in the pear orchard of Emperor Min during the
Tang Dynasty (AD618-907). The emperor had a dream in which he watched
an opera performance staged in Heaven.
Yearning to see the
spectacular sights and sounds in reality, one day he gathered all his
ministers, attendants and concubines in his pear orchard and directed
an opera of his own making. From that time on, Chinese opera developed
into a traditional performing art and became widely enjoyed by royalty
and commoner alike.
As legend has it,
the King of Heaven was exasperated to find that his "heavenly" pleasure
had also become the pleasure of lowly mortals, with opera houses mushrooming
all over China. Determined to snub all the fanfare and hype of opera lovers,
he sent his special agent Hwa-Guang - nicknamed "Third Eye" for his supernatural
powers - to burn down all the opera houses on earth.
Hwa-Guang, being a
merciful soul who didn't want to see the tragic death of innocent people,
devised a plot to save the opera troupes. By faking a fire with burning
yellow papers and having troupe members dress in red, he fooled the King
of Heaven into believing that everyone had been burnt by the red-hot flames.
The opera troupes
and their art were spared thanks to the courageous act of Hwa-Guang. Since
then, the name of "Honourable Master Hwa-Guang" has become the figure
of blessing for all opera players.
No matter how much
truth there is to this legend, the art of Chinese opera continued to expand
and diversify into various schools, according to geographical locations.
Today, the most common are Jingju (Beijing opera), Qiaoju (Swatow Province),
Qunqu (Kunming), and Yueju (Cantonese opera). While most of these are
sung in local dialects, they have also developed unique styles of their
own over the generations.
During the late Qing
Dynasty (AD1644-1911), the status of opera faced another major crisis due
to the involvement of many Cantonese opera players in revolutionary movements.
Joining Dr Sun Yat-sen
- the "Father of Modern China" - in his attempt to repudiate the Qing
Government, many performers and theatre owners faced persecution. Cantonese
opera houses were either burnt down or forbidden from delivering performances.
To save themselves
from eradication, one of the troupe leaders, Lee Wen-Mou, devised a plot
to turn Cantonese opera into Qunqu by singing in the regional dialect.
The troupe was then mistaken for foreigners and the members saved themselves
and their precious art from a tragic end.
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