Bringing Guan Gong's spirit to life for a wider audience

Li Zijun, a Peking Opera performer specializing in hongsheng (red-faced male) roles and an inheritor of a renowned Peking Opera family tradition, shared his insights into portraying Guan Gong and expressed hope that young people will help bring the stories of Chinese heroes to a wider audience at the International Youth Dialogue on "Loyalty and Honor Without Borders" in Yuncheng, North China's Shanxi province, on Sept 23.

Guan Gong, the honorific title of Guan Yu, was a general who lived during the late Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220) and the Three Kingdoms period (220-280), and is widely revered for his loyalty and righteousness.

Li said Guan Gong is one of the most challenging roles in Peking Opera. To portray Guan Gong convincingly, an actor must embody what Li describes as the "three spirits": martial valor, pride, and refined elegance. "Guan Gong was never merely a warrior skilled in wielding a blade," Li said. "He was a cultured general who understood loyalty, righteousness and propriety."

At the heart of Guan Gong's character, Li noted, are the three virtues: loyalty, benevolence, and faithfulness.

On stage, Guan Gong traditionally identified himself by his title, the Marquis of Hanshou, reflecting the loyalty to his country and the greater cause that he carried in his heart.

Li emphasized that the quality of an actor's art reflects the character of the person behind it. When portraying Guan Gong, he said, actors learn not only his singing and movements, but also the integrity and sense of responsibility that should be rooted in their own character. These qualities should be reflected in their words and deeds.

The transmission of a tradition does not mean rigidly adhering to old rules. "We must first establish firm roots in tradition and master its techniques before we can speak of innovation and new forms of expression," Li said. "That is what meaningful cultural inheritance truly means."

Li expressed hope that more young people will engage with Guan Gong culture and gain a deeper understanding of the values and spirit he represents, helping the stories of Chinese heroes and their cultural heritage reach an even wider audience.

"Loyalty and Honor Without Borders", a global online outreach campaign on Guan Gong culture, is running from Sept 20 to 23 across Taiyuan, Pingyao, and Yuncheng in Shanxi province.

Supported by the China Internet Development Foundation, the campaign serves as an international platform to promote Guan Gong culture through immersive tours, insightful dialogues, and interactive workshops.