An Indonesian student studying traditional Chinese medicine in Chengdu City of southwest China's Sichuan Province has lately been offered a chance to perform Sichuan Opera on the stage with professional actors.
Born in an overseas Chinese family that has been in Sumatra, Indonesia for five generations, Marissa, or Hong Wanqing in Chinese, majors in acupuncture at the Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Sichuan.
Ahead of the Spring Festival, which fell on Jan 29 this year, Marissa went to the Chengdu Sichuan Opera Research Institute through a friend's introduction, where she put on exquisite makeup and theatrical costume for the first time in her life and played the white snake in The Legend of the White Snake with professional Sichuan Opera actors.
"This is my first time to put on this makeup. I think it looks good, and very different from myself. As this year is the Year of the Snake, I plan to play a role in the Sichuan Opera The Legend of the White Snake," Marissa said.
Having been in China for eight years, Marissa said she became attracted by Sichuan Opera five years ago.
"In fact, I had already watched Sichuan Opera before I came to Chengdu. There are hot pot restaurants in Indonesia, and one restaurant staged a Sichuan Opera face-changing show. I loved it, because I thought it was magical, and wondered how they switched masks so swiftly one after another. And then I came here to Chengdu, where there are many face-changing, lantern rolling and other traditional performances, as well as Sichuan Opera dramas like the Legend of the White Snake I performed today. I'm very interested and enjoy watching them very much," Marissa said.
Now a graduate student, Marissa said she chose to study traditional Chinese medicine in 2018 because her family values Chinese dietary therapy since she was a child.
She has also experienced the amazing effects of acupuncture herself. During middle school years, she received acupuncture treatment for cervical spondylosis, which worked quickly with no side effect.
Marissa also learned that acupuncture is a national-level intangible cultural heritage in China, which has been inscribed by the UNESCO on its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. So, she decided to study acupuncture in China.
"I think traditional Chinese medicine is not only a science, but also a philosophy and a life attitude. It pursues the unity of heaven and human, both consisting of Yin, Yang and five elements. While the Sichuan Opera pursues harmony and inclusiveness. They are very similar. For me, the learning process is more of a process carrying forward culture and cultural exchanges. After obtaining my master's degree, I will go back to Indonesia and open my own clinic. My goal is to promote traditional Chinese medicine that I have learned to Indonesian people, because it is really amazing and must be passed on to future generations," Marissa said.
Traditional Chinese medicine student from Indonesia experiences Sichuan Opera
Traditional Chinese medicine student from Indonesia experiences Sichuan Opera
