Kunqu Art Thrills German Audience

Kunqu opera masters from China's Suzhou city delighted a German audience with a selection of some of the best known Kunqu excerpts in Berlin on Friday. Their rendition on the ethereal art of Kunqu has proven to be a magnet for audiences of all ages.

The performers came from Suzhou where Kunqu originated more than six-hundred years ago. Actresses Wang Fang and Shen Fengying presented a selection of Kunqu excerpts with pristine quality. Some highlights included "Looking for a Dream" and "Disrupted Dream," both from the "Peony Pavilion," and "An Obsessed Dream" from "Lanke Mountain."

The performance was a hugely popular event, having sold out all four-hundred tickets two weeks in advance.

Dr. Gabriele Minz, organizer, said, "Kunqu opera is listed as World Intangible Cultural Heritage. We believed that Kunqu is the origin for all kinds of operas, including those in Germany. So we are willing to know more of the art form."

Wu Hongbo, Chinese ambassador to Germany, said, "The fact that a Chinese opera could generate so much repercussion on distant shores explained that culture is a communication through the mind, and it sometimes does not need language to help."

The performance was part of a European tour of Kunqu opera that aims to present open, varied, and dynamic Chinese culture.. simultaneously ancient and young.