The two-episode documentary Nine Hundred Years of Southern Opera aired on Sunday on CCTV-9 documentary channel, taking audiences on a journey to explore the roots of Chinese opera and the enduring power of its heritage.
As one of the earliest mature forms of opera in Chinese theatrical history, Southern Opera (Nanxi Opera) is a form of classical regional opera that took shape in today's Wenzhou, Zhejiang province, during the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279).
The documentary presents a comprehensive overview of the full course of the opera's origins, development, dissemination, and evolution. Through narrative techniques combining on-location explorations, cultural interpretations, and contrasts between ancient and modern times, it weaves together the threads of inheritance across the ages.
The camera also focuses on distinctive settings such as ancient opera stages in Wenzhou and old waterside alleys, deeply blending the landscapes of Jiangnan area (the area south of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River), the vibrant atmosphere of local street life, and the cultural lineage of opera.
At the same time, the film adopts a contemporary perspective, focusing on the innovative revitalization of traditional culture. It comprehensively documents the inheritance, innovation, and dissemination of the opera in the new era, showcasing the living vitality of this ancient operatic form.
After watching the documentary, Zhang Shijie, a national-level inheritor of the intangible cultural heritage of Ouju Opera, another local opera of Wenzhou, says: "This documentary very comprehensively records the most precious materials from the historical development of Wenzhou as the hometown of Southern Opera. I think it's very worthwhile.
"Now, it is a period when our country places great emphasis on the development of operatic arts, and it is also, across the nation, the best period for opera development. With such a fine environment and such favorable conditions, moreover, our opera troupes in Wenzhou have also markedly improved and produced many excellent works — these are all very encouraging phenomena. I feel particularly delighted."
