Spirit of the magpie spreads message from congress
In Chinese culture, the magpie is considered a messenger of good luck and is known as xique, or bird of joy.
In Xingtai city, North China's Hebei province, there are groups of people who want to be like magpies and share their thoughts on the spirit of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China which was held in October.
In the early morning of Nov 15, a group of performers played Nanlu Sixian, a form of traditional Chinese opera, at Chengdong Park in Pingxiang county of Xingtai. Parks are usually places where residents go to exercise in the morning, especially seniors.
"The opera is popular with residents in the county because it is attractive and can radiate an infectious enthusiasm," said An Chunling, a member of the group.
An, 56, is the head of the county's cultural center.
She composed a piece of opera based on the content of a report delivered at the congress by writing the report's core concepts about rural vitalization into opera lyrics.
According to An, the kind of opera originated in Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and was listed as a national intangible cultural heritage last year.
"The opera is lively and has helped me better understand the report," said villager Dong Bingkun from the county's Dongjiazhuang village. After watching a performance, he said he has gained great energy and confidence for the future.
"I'm glad they like it, and very happy to be like a magpie," An said.
Headed by An, the group's 22 members have gone to quite a few places across the county to give the performance, not only opera but also some other art forms such as songs and acrobatics.
Since the congress concluded last month, more than 220 artist groups in Xingtai have been dedicated to spreading the spirit of the congress and detailing the country's journey.
Their audiences are residents across the city, and they have performed thousands of times with diverse methods.
Among the group are seniors as well as young people from different occupations, including teachers and dancers.
"I will create more pieces of work to spread our Party's policies and plans so that villagers can comprehend correctly and deeply, which will guide their work and life in the future," she said, adding that this is also a good opportunity to revitalize the traditional opera.
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