In the special exhibition "A Century of Commitment" of Zhejiang Arts, drama is dedicated to the founding of the CPC and celebrates a century of glory. Drama is also presented as one of the 12 major art disciplines.

A centuries-old drama classic evokes national memories

In the second chapter "Theatre Hymn" exhibition hall, there presents the Kunqu opera "Fifteen Guan", the Shao opera "Monkey Subdues the White-Bone Demon", the Yueju opera "Little Flower Phenomenon"… Visitors' shared memories are overflowing with emotion.

The multimedia technology and visual art used in this exhibition also enhance the visitor experience. As you walk through the exhibition hall, you feel like you have entered a time warp. Large and small screens and curtains show videos of performances from previous years, while precious historical objects and vivid artistic models tell the legendary stories that took place on the stage. The collective memories of every generation are evoked here in "Butterfly Lovers", "Five Daughters Celebrating the Elder’s Birthday", and "Lu You and Tang Wan"… From the first performance in Beijing in 1962 to the winning of "JinGui Award" in Nanjing in 2021, the spirit of theatre heritage is striking as different versions of the Wu opera "Broken Bridge" are presented in one space.

A star-studded troupe showcases Zhejiang's style

Zhejiang has always been a province of theatre. The various exhibition halls not only show images of performances by drama masters of all generations, but also images of actors who have won the "Plum Performance Award" and "JinGui Award" in Zhejiang in recent years.

The third chapter, "Peaks of the Times", is surrounded by a backdrop of rising and falling mountain figures, signifying that Zhejiang is a peak for the cultivation of arts talents, the creation of arts works and the cohesion of arts spirit. The chapter is structured along the lines of "three roads" - the Road of Standing, the Road of Confidence and the Road of Revival, each of which has been home to generations of brilliant Zhejiang theatre actors.

In the fourth chapter "the Group of Brilliance", fifty representatives of the Arts field stand on the square of the times, and familiar figures such as Gu Xidong and Mao Weitao are among them. They have honed their works for the ages and are a force of arts power.

Between stages, life is like a drama; under the spotlight, social progress can be seen in full view. Savoring each exhibit, the theatre pieces ripple with the times.

(Editor: Bian Bingying)