Peking Opera company returns to HK

Peking Opera actress Li Shengsu. [Photo provided to China Daily]

After a six-year hiatus, the China National Peking Opera Co returned to the Hong Kong Arts Festival with performances from Feb 24 to Friday.

Led by top Peking Opera artists Yu Kuizhi and Li Shengsu, the company showcased the beauty and artistry of the 200-year-old art form with classic pieces, such as The Cosmos Sword, Reconciliation between the General and the Prime Minister, and Escorting Su San to Trial.

The Cosmos Sword, created and premiered by the famed Peking Opera master Mei Langfang (1894-1961), is considered as one of the most famous and classic works of Mei.

Peking Opera actress Li Shengsu plays the leading role in Escorting Su San to Trial.[Photo provided to China Daily]

Li, who was trained to perform the style created by Mei, played the role of Lady Zhao, who pretends to be "mad" in order to avoid being made a royal concubine.

Reconciliation Between the General and the Prime Minister, a masterpiece of Peking Opera actors Li Shaochun (1919-75) and Yuan Shihai (1916-2002), focuses on the roles of laosheng (old male) and hualian (painted face).

Scenes from Peking Opera piece, Reconciliation Between the General and the Prime Minister. [Photo provided to China Daily]

The company also staged the classic piece, Princess Changping, one of the best-known works of Cantonese Opera, which premiered in 1957. The company's adaptation of the classic piece was a big hit with audiences when it premiered at the Hong Kong Arts Festival in 2018.

During the shows in Hong Kong, young actors and actresses of the company also joined in the performances.

Scenes from Peking Opera piece, Reconciliation Between the General and the Prime Minister. [Photo provided to China Daily]