Kunqu Opera performance delights visitors at UN headquarters

UNITED NATIONS — A pop-up Kunqu performance, showcasing one of China's oldest surviving forms of opera, brought an unexpected burst of traditional Chinese culture to the United Nations headquarters in New York on Aug 4.

Presented by artists from the Zhejiang Jingkun Art Center, the performance drew curious UN staff and visitors, many of whom stopped to watch the centuries-old art form unfold in a public space within the complex. Some filmed the performance on their phones, while others stayed to learn more about the stories behind the scenes.

Adina Ghita, a judge at the United Nations Dispute Tribunal who recently began studying Chinese, said the performance left a strong impression despite her limited understanding of the dialogue.

"It's the second time I've seen one. It's wonderful. It's special. They are so graceful when they dance," she said. "I understand it's about a princess and a lady who embroiders, and I love the way they dance. I think it's very expressive."

Ghita said the visual storytelling made the performance easy to follow and enjoyable, adding that she hopes to see more traditional Chinese performing arts at the United Nations.

"I see a lot of Chinese movies, and there are those dances with long sleeves, like fire or like water. I'd like to see that," she said.

For Toni Thai Sterrett, founder of AI-powered screenwriting platform Cinepartna, the performance showed how traditional cultures from different parts of the world can resonate across borders.

"I thought it was beautiful. It was different. I don't understand the language, but I understood what was going on," she said. "I felt the emotion."

Sterrett, who was visiting UN headquarters, said she found it especially meaningful to see women performing Kunqu Opera after learning that the art form was traditionally performed entirely by men. She also praised the production's comic role, saying, "The jester was really funny."

What impressed Sterrett most, however, was the sense of familiarity she found in an art form from a different culture.

"It made me think about how similar all these traditional cultures are," she said. "Older cultures throughout Asia, Africa, and indigenous communities have so much in common. The gestures and the way they were communicating made me think, 'Wow, we really are all the same.'"

The performance also carried broader significance at an international venue like the United Nations, Sterrett said.

Co-hosted by the UNSRC Chinese Book Club and the Zhejiang Provincial Department of Culture, Radio, Television and Tourism, the performance featured excerpts from three classic Kunqu productions — Age of Splendor (Shengshi Hongzhuang), The Tale of the Precious Sword (Baojian Ji) and Fifteen Strings of Cash (Shiwu Guan) — presenting stories that range from the grandeur of the Tang Dynasty (618-907) and themes of loyalty and righteousness to humorous glimpses of everyday life.

Recognized by UNESCO in 2001 as one of the first masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity, Kunqu Opera is celebrated for its elegant singing, graceful choreography, poetic language and minimalist stagecraft, using symbolic gestures and movements to convey rich emotion and dramatic narratives.

XINHUA