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| Shi Hong Mei in a performance of “The Peony Pavilion” at the Huguang theatre in Beijing |
© Hervé Bruhat/Rapho, Paris
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Proclaimed by UNESCO in 2001 as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage, this traditional Chinese art, once threatened with extinction, is now the object of renewed interest.
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A young girl appears as soon as the first notes of music are heard. Draped in a richly embroidered costume, she performs graceful hand movements. The elegance of her gestures is enhanced by her long silk sleeves. Accompanied by a flute, she begins to sing and the audience holds its breath.
The scene is an excerpt from “The Peony Pavilion”, one of the classic plays of the Kunqu Opera. It tells the tragic tale of Du Liniang, who dreams during a walk in the park that she meets and falls in love with a young man. Unable to live her dream in reality, she falls mortally ill and, as she is dying, asks to be buried in the garden where she met her beloved. Later, Lui Mengmei, a student on his way to the capital, passes in front of Du Liniang’s house and asks to spend the night there. As he sleeps, he dreams of the young girl. Revealing to him that he is the one her heart desires, she asks him to open her coffin. Liu Mengmei does so and Du Liniang comes back to life.
Since 2004, this updated version of the play, produced by Bai Xianyong, one of China’s bestknown contemporary authors, has been staged in a dozen universities in China. Teachers and students can buy tickets for as little as 10 yuan. Each time the performance attracts a large audience. “The opera is so sweet, so graceful that I was profoundly touched,” admits Hu Chunni, a political science student at Nanking University.
This traditional art form, whose beginnings can be traced to the 16th century Ming dynasty, is one of the oldest types of opera in China. Originating in the eastern province of Jiangsu, it combines singing, dancing, gesture and recitation. Its influence on Chinese theatre and opera is undisputed.
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Ongoing revival and new museum
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But this golden age is long gone, and the art has been declining since the 18th century. Provincial operas, notably that of Beijing, ended up replacing Kunqu. The performances, often very long—some could last several days—were soon only being staged for a handful of scholars. “Historically, this art was kept alive by the intellectual elite. It is considered too difficult for the general public to understand,” explains Bai Xianyong. In fact, in the second half of the 19th century, most of the actors had joined troupes engaged in other forms of opera. “There are only about 600 professionals left in China,” laments Ke Jun, vice-president of the Jiangsu Kunqu Opera Theatre. As a result, of the 800 plays in the repertoire at the end of the Qing dynasty, less than 200 remained in the 1950s and several dozen only have survived to the dawn of 21st century.
Proclaimed a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage in 2001, kungqu has experienced a rebirth in the past few years. Four classical plays, including “The Peony Pavilion” or “The Palace of Eternal Life”, have been restored and updated. A Kunqu Opera museum was opened in 2003 in Suzhou, in Jiangsu Province. The exhibits include masks, costumes, manuscripts and ancient instruments.
In 2004 the Chinese government decided to devote 10 million yuan per year to revive this traditional art form. The money will be used mostly to collect librettos and ancient materials, to stage new plays and to train professionals. Some fear the allotted funds are insufficient to fulfil this enormous task. “Nonetheless, today this art form has been brought back to life,” notes Ke Jun. Just like Du Liniang, the young girl in “The Peony Pavilion”.
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Cultural Heritage and Armed Conflict
The Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict was adopted in The Hague, Netherlands, in 1954 following the massive destruction inflicted to cultural heritage during the Second World War It was the first universally applicable international instrument aimed exclusively at protecting the cultural heritage. It applies to monuments, archaeological sites and also manuscripts and scientific collections.
Protection of World Heritage
Adopted on November 16, 1972, the 1972 Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage protects not only cultural sites but also natural and mixed sites. With 180 States Parties, it is one of the world’s most ratified international instruments. Signatories commit to preserve the sites on the World Heritage List as well as heritage sites of national or regional import.
Intangible Cultural Heritage
The Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage was adopted on October 17, 2003. Its goal is to preserve oral traditions and expressions, the performing arts, social practices, rituals and festive events as well as traditional craftsmanship. It commits States Parties to taking the necessary steps to safeguard this heritage and calls for inventories of the national elements needing protection to be established. It will go into effect once ratified by 30 States. Twenty states have already signed it.
Underwater Heritage
The UNESCO Convention for the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage was adopted on November 2, 2001. Its goal: fight against the increase in underwater pillaging, facilitated by the development of technologies permitting unprecedented access to shipwrecks. No multilateral international treaty aimed exclusively at the protection of this heritage existed until 2001. It will go into effect once ratified by 20 States; only five have signed so far.
Illegal Trade in Cultural Goods
Three multinational treaties have been drawn up to fight against the illegal trade of cultural goods:
• The Protocol to the Convention for the Protection of Property in the Event of Armed Conflict (1954)
• The Convention Concerning Measures to Forbid and Prevent the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property (1970)
• The UNIDROIT Convention on Stolen or Illegally Exported Cultural Objects (1995)
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