Four Plum Blossom Award winners from Hebei Bangzi Opera Theatre of Hebei Province to stage masterpieces at Chinese Culture Festival 2026 in July (with photos)
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As one of the most representative regional opera genres of Hebei Province, Hebei bangzi opera - also known as Jing bangzi, Zhili bangzi and Wei bangzi - was inscribed onto the First National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2006. Its music is led by the banhu (a bowed string instrument), with wooden clappers (bangzi) marking the rhythm with bright, resonant beats during vocal performance. The vocal style is high-pitched and passionate, with male and female roles sharing the same key to deliver a heroic, highly penetrating tone. The performance style is direct and vigorous, often incorporating virtuosic acrobatic techniques to heighten the dramatic tension of the plots.
Details of the three performances are as follows:
"Zhong Kui the Ghosteater"
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Date and time: July 24 (Friday), 7.30pm
"Zhong Kui the Ghosteater" is the troupe's signature masterpiece and a defining exemplar of Hebei bangzi's seamless mastery of both civil and martial arts. The story follows the scholar Zhong Kui, who tragically takes his own life in grief and indignation over the corruption of the imperial examinations. Appointed in the underworld as the divine catcher of demons, he returns home under the cover of night to see his sister married before departing to fulfil his divine duties. The character is portrayed by a female actor in a wusheng (martial male) role during his mortal life, capturing the poignant image of a wandering scholar. Following his death and becoming a deity, the performance integrates the expressive features of young male, martial male and painted-face roles. This transformation of role types vividly mirrors Zhong Kui's journey from man to spirit and deity. Striking stunts such as dashuaicha (grand splits) and chaotiandeng (leg-holding extension) further showcase the performers' mastery of stylised movements. This performance features the four Plum Blossom Award winners, making it a rare opportunity that Chinese opera fans cannot afford to miss.
"The Magic Lotus Lantern"
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Date and time: July 25 (Saturday), 7.30pm
"The Magic Lotus Lantern" is a celebrated classic of the Hebei bangzi opera repertoire, telling the mythical story of Chenxiang axing open the mountain to rescue his mother. Revered by opera lovers for its powerful singing and thrilling combat sequences, this production has remained a favourite with audiences since its premiere in 1960. Moving beyond traditional bangzi opera rhythmic patterns, the music introduces Kunqu tunes and folk songs to infuse the score with touching and joyous melodies. The stage choreography integrates ribbon dance and fan dance into the martial movements, showcasing a continuous display of masterly skills, including the uniquely created "leg-sweeping turns during the zoubian (scouting) sequence", as well as consecutive backflips, spinning leaps, spear kicks and sword dancing. Led by Sun Na, Hao Shichao, and Qiu Ruide, the performance perfectly balances strength and grace, fully capturing the unique artistic charm of the Hebei bangzi opera.
Excerpts
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Date and time: July 26 (Sunday), 2.30pm
This selection of four classic excerpts showcases the artistic essence of Hebei bangzi opera, highlighting its mastery of both civil and martial arts. On the civil side, "Crying at the City Wall" from "North and South Make Peace" features high-pitched, heartrending singing, where the actor utilises formulaic routines such as shuaifa (hair-flinging) and beard skills to vividly express the torment of being torn between loyalty and filial devotion. "On the Execution Ground" from "The Injustice Done to Dou E" relies solely on expressive, sorrowful lament and delicate facial expressions to denounce a profound injustice. The martial scenes are equally breathtaking: "The Hu Homestead", featuring a daomadan (female warrior) role, integrates masterful acrobatic techniques like high spear kicks and spinning leaps into fierce close combat, fully displaying the heroine's formidable spirit. "The Bloody Battle at Waqiao" from "Waqiao Pass" weaves high-difficulty techniques - including ensemble combat sequences and dazzling spear-twirling patterns - into a breathtaking display of martial choreography, recreating the heroic valour of Yang Yanzhao, the legendary Song commander, on the battlefield.
The Hebei Bangzi Opera Theatre of Hebei Province was established in 1959, with the legendary Peking opera master Xun Huisheng - one of the "four great performers in dan roles" - as its first director. Over the years, the troupe has nurtured numerous well-known artists, as well as outstanding creative talents and performers. It has created and performed over 200 productions, and received numerous awards, with some of its representative works adapted for the big screen. The troupe has travelled to various places such as Greece, Japan, Spain, Cyprus, and Colombia for performances, receiving high acclaim from audiences.
The three performances will be held at the Auditorium of Kwai Tsing Theatre. Lyrics and dialogue are with Chinese and English surtitles. Tickets priced at $180, $280 $380 and $480 are now available at URBTIX (www.urbtix.hk). For telephone bookings, please call 3166 1288. The CCF 2026 offers various discount schemes, such as group booking discounts, package booking discounts and the newly introduced "Generations Together 1+1" discount. For programme enquiries and concessionary schemes, please call 2268 7325 or visit www.ccf.gov.hk/en/programme/hebei-bangzi-opera-theatre-of-hebei-province/.
A meet-the-artists session (in Putonghua) entitled "Hebei Bangzi Opera: A Fine Mix of the Lyrical and the Vigorous in Its Civil and Martial Repertoires" will be held at 7.30pm on July 23 (Thursday) at AC2, Level 4, Administration Building, Hong Kong Cultural Centre. The speakers include Wu Guiyun, Qiu Ruide, Hao Shichao and Sun Na, while Chinese opera researcher Hu Guangming will be the moderator. Since the spaces for online registrations of this activity are full, those interested may wait at the venue's entrance for a standby space on the day of the session. Any unclaimed spots will be released 10 minutes after the session begins on a first-come, first-served basis.
The CCF, presented by the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau and organised by the Chinese Culture Promotion Office under the LCSD, aims to promote Chinese culture and enhance the public's sense of national identity and cultural confidence, thereby facilitating patriotic education. It also aims to attract top-notch artists and arts groups from the Chinese Mainland and other parts of the world for exchanges in Chinese arts and culture. The CCF 2026 is held from June to September. It hosts various forms of distinctive stage programmes and related extension activities, film screenings, thematic exhibitions, talks, workshops, as well as community and school activities, affording the public and visitors more opportunities to appreciate and experience the beauty of fine traditional Chinese culture. For more information, please visit www.ccf.gov.hk.
Ends/Tuesday, June 23, 2026
Issued at HKT 11:00
Issued at HKT 11:00
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