A mix of Yue opera and ancient poem

A snapshot of a video showing a Yue opera performer reciting excerpts from Fuchun, an ancient poem that lavishes praise on the splendid views of the banks of the Fuchun River. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

A video showing a Yue opera performer reciting excerpts from an ancient poem lavishing praise on the splendid views of the banks of the Fuchun River in East China's Zhejiang province recently became popular online.

The video drew inspiration from Memory of Jiangnan, a performance which captivated audiences nationwide during the Spring Festival gala broadcast on China Central Television on Jan 31, the eve of the Lunar New Year.

Using a three-dimensional rendition of the legendary Chinese painting Dwelling in Fuchun Mountains as the backdrop, Memory of Jiangnan featured female dancers holding yellow oil-paper umbrellas and Chinese actors reciting excerpts from ancient poems praising the views of Fuchun River.

Choreographed by the Tonglu Yue Opera Learning Center, the video features the performer reciting bits of the poem Fuchun in Yue opera style while standing at the section of Fuchun River in Tonglu county in Zhejiang.

Yue Opera is popular in the region south of the Yangtze River, and is especially popular in Zhejiang, Shanghai, and Jiangsu. Five Yue Opera performers from Tonglu have to date won the Plum Blossom Award, the highest award for Chinese drama performance.

The painting Dwelling in Fuchun Mountains was created by master painter Huang Gongwang in the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368). More than 80 percent of the scenery depicted in the painting is from Tonglu, where Huang lived in seclusion in his later years.

With its great mix of natural scenery and historic sites, Tonglu was constantly extolled by ancient poets. According to historical records, more than 1,900 poets, including Li Bai, Bai Juyi, Wang Wei, Meng Haoran, and Fan Zhongyan, visited Tonglu and created over 7,400 poems since the Tang Dynasty (618-907).