The captivating and enduring charm of traditional Chinese theater arts was showcased to global audiences during the 2025 Spring Festival Gala on Tuesday night, as an enchanting ensemble of around 140 traditional Chinese opera performers of all ages graced the stage to deliver a mesmerizing cultural spectacle.
The Spring Festival Gala, also known as "Chunwan", has become a cultural hallmark of Chinese New Year celebrations in China ever since it was first held in 1983. The hours-long variety extravaganza is regarded as the world's most-watched annual TV show, gaining over a billion views on various platforms around the globe.
Broadcast live on the eve of the Chinese New Year, the gala incorporated many new technological innovations and special effects to enhance China's much celebrated and iconic traditional opera.
The energetic ensemble performance began with a spoken monologue of a young Kunqu Opera performer, dressed in an exquisite costume, set against a garden-like stage. Deriving from Kunshan in east China's Jiangsu Province, Kunqu Opera is one of China's most treasured art forms, with the 600-year-old tradition even earning its place on UNESCO's list of World Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2001.
The Kunqu genre is considered to be highly influential across many other styles of Chinese musical theater, including Peking Opera, which contains a similar repertoire, and organizers say this age-old art form continues to carry a wide appeal today.
"Starting a grand Chinese opera ensemble with spoken parts of Kunqu Opera will invite the audience to step into a 'garden of opera,' where they can truly appreciate the beauty of this traditional art, Kunqu boasts a time-honored history of 600 years, yet we chose to have a young lady born after the year 2000 to perform the spoken parts. Our intention is to show the audience that Kunqu, like other forms of Chinese opera, continues to possess enduring charm," said Deng Yun, who oversaw all opera performances for the 2025 Spring Festival Gala.
The ensemble also embraced innovation in terms of its melody arrangement, with the opening performance being a collaborative effort between three performers from different traditional genres, namely Kunqu, Wuju, and Peking Opera. The performance also followed the same 'Qupai', a set of intricate rules that determine the number of lines, characters, and rhyme and tones of each piece.
"Kunqu Opera is what we learn as a beginner. The combination of three opera performances work rather harmoniously, because we share the same Qupai and movements, so we can deliver the performance well," said Lou Sheng, who performed the Wuju Opera section.
While many talented young stars took part in the gala ensemble, a number of seasoned performers once again demonstrated their skills and experience, with veteran Peking Opera artist Meng Guanglu making his 25th appearance on the Spring Festival Gala stage.
"Peking Opera culture is both an image and a source of strength. Therefore, our performances on stage must embody this spirit and energy," said Meng.
When performing marital plays known as 'Wuxi', which sees opera scenes depicting the struggles between rival states, warriors, or bandits, the artists performed impressive feats, such as acrobatic flips and complicated movements, while close-up shots created an intense atmosphere.
It was also a physical challenge for the artists, as some of the male characters who appeared in these battle scenes carried flags or weapons and were elaborately dressed, with helmets and a type of hard armor. Some character's costumes could weigh between 15-20 kilograms.
In addition, the performers must also wear intricate headwear before going on stage, which often takes some time to properly set up and adjust.
"First we wear a cotton net, followed by a gauze and then the hamlet. Without these items, the performer will not look so great. The whole wearing process seems rather complex, but this is what makes Chinese opera so beautiful," said Kunqu Opera performer Lin Weilin.
At the end of the performance, all 140 performers gathered on stage for a grand finale as the ensemble reached a fitting climax, as these performers from different age groups collectively showcased the enduring vitality of traditional Chinese Opera which continues from generation to generation.
Chinese opera ensemble at Spring Festival Gala showcases enduring charm of time-honored art
