Revived traditional opera brings new life to Kuala Lumpur's Chinatown

A time-honored alleyway in the heart of Kuala Lumpur's Chinatown is brimming with renewed energy around this year's Mid-Autumn Festival, thanks to an innovative makeover that is rekindling the passion for traditional Chinese Opera.

Once a faded part of the city, the Kwai Chai Hong, literally meaning "Little Demon Alley," has emerged as a popular sightseeing spot among locals, especially younger generations, blending colorful murals, interactive art installations, and live performances that transform this historic neighborhood into a dynamic modern cultural space.

With the arrival of the Mid-Autumn Festival, one of the most important traditional holidays for Chinese descendants, the latest installation in the alley is highlighting Chinese Opera, a once-thriving art form that's in decline in recent years.

"The Chinese Opera in the 1980s in Malaysia was recorded to have over 100 Chinese Opera troupes. Unfortunately, in year 2022, the record shows that there's less than 10 left. It's a very sad truth for us," said Zeen Chang, co-founder of Kwai Chai Hong.

The performers putting on a show here are from one of the last remaining troupes, led by a master originally from Hong Kong.

粤语已核对 "When I innovate within Cantonese opera, I ensure that the original essence of the art form is preserved. Then I incorporate elements from foreign and other theatrical works. I take the best aspects and blend them together, adapting to the times," said Kam Sin Kiew, a grand master of Chinese Opera.

Among the dazzling installations is one inspired by the headdresses worn by the opera performers. It's interactive too, giving visitors a chance to do shadow play for their social media. Some of the murals now also feature augmented reality.

The latest installation's combination of lights and color, the ancient and the modern is drawing enthusiastic crowds to the Kwai Chai Hong alleyway and to the whole Chinatown.

"What we hope to do with Kwai Chai Hong right now that we have the ability is to at least rejuvenate the interest of Chinese Opera and plant a curiosity seed to everyone," Chang said.

The transformation of this alleyway is aimed at turning this once-faded part of Kuala Lumpur into a must-see attraction, not only during festivals, but year-round.

For Chinese people, the Mid-Autumn Festival is of special ethical significance, and family reunion on this occasion lying deep in their consciousness has been a sentiment and mindset for hundreds of years. This year's Mid-Autumn Festival falls on Tuesday.

Revived traditional opera brings new life to Kuala Lumpur's Chinatown

Distinguished Singapore researcher Kishore Mahbubani called on the West to learn to work with China rather than to try to suppress China in a recent interview with CGTN, China’s global TV network.

Kishore Mahbubani, a fellow at the Asia Research Institute of the National University of Singapore, pointed out that some Western media outlets have long framed China's development primarily through the lens of "threat". He argued that what truly deserves vigilance is not China's development itself, but the cognitive bias in how Western societies assess their own judgments.

"Western media often suggests 'what a surprise that China is doing so well, its economy is growing. This is not real.' But what many in the Western media forget is that at the end of the day, China still represents the world's oldest continuous civilization. China has led the world in so many phases of human history. So, the return of China today as one of the most successful societies in the world is a perfectly natural development," he said.

China has prepared itself for major growth.

"Please don't expect the Chinese economy to collapse. Please don't expect the Chinese economy to peak. Instead, with all the investment that China has already made in its infrastructure, in its scientific innovation capabilities, and in its people, with all these investments, China has already prepared itself for another major growth spurt. And that's what the major Western media should look out for," he said.

The West should collaborate with China, as China's growth and its affordable products benefit the global economy, he added.

"Instead of focusing on China as a threat, the West should see that China's economic growth and development is in many ways advancing the human condition. By creating better products, cheaper products, more fulfilling products, China is actually doing the global economy a favor. And the West should learn to work with China rather than to try to suppress China," he said.

West should learn to work with China rather than to try to suppress China: Singaporean researcher