An artist stages a Hainan Opera show in Ding'an on May 18. [Photo/Hainan Daily]
A gala featuring Hainan Opera performances was staged in Ding'an on May 18, with over 2,000 opera fans gathering to enjoy a visual-audio feast.
Held at Yanjiang Park in Ding'an, the gala was part of a series of events held both for China Tourism Day and the Ding'an Duanwu Gourmet Festival. It featured Chen Suzhen, winner of the Plum Blossom Award, the highest theatrical award in China, and national first-class actors Wu Duodong and Liu Xiurong.
Chen and her disciples staged an excerpt from a Hainan Opera classic, set against the background of the history of rubber planting in Hainan, and artistically displayed the hardworking spirit of both overseas Chinese and Hainan locals.
Ding'an is known as "County of Hainan Operas" and is home to numerous renowned Hainan Opera artists. From the late 1950s to the early 1970s, Ding'an artists spread all over the island, and there was a saying that "No troupe can be formed without Ding'an people".
This gala can not only demonstrated the cultural charm of Hainan Opera in Ding'an, but also helped promote the in-depth integration of traditional cultural undertakings with the tourism industry. It also showed the spirit of the people of Ding'an who have inherited an excellent traditional culture, and helped the county better integrate into the comprehensive economic circle formed by Haikou, Chengmai, Wenchang and Ding'an, according to officials from Ding'an tourism, culture, radio, television and sports bureau.
The gala was a prelude, and a lot more cultural events, such as a gourmet carnival, a sticky rice dumplings experience, and opera shows by famous artists, will be staged in the coming days, officials added.
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