The Mother of All Operas: Discovering the Poetic Grace of Kunqu
Long before the clashing cymbals and athletic acrobatics of Peking Opera, there was Kunqu. This is the mother of all Chinese operas, an art form of sublime elegance, poetic lyrics, and impossibly graceful, flowing movements. To watch Kunqu in its birthplace of Suzhou is to experience the pinnacle of Chinese classical refinement.
Compared to other forms of opera, Kunqu is incredibly subtle. The music is dominated by the gentle, melancholic sound of a bamboo flute. The actors move as if in a dream, where every gesture of a finger or the flick of a long "water sleeve" is laden with deep meaning and emotion. It’s less about dramatic action and more about lyrical beauty, like watching a poem come to life on stage.
Insider Tip:
The most magical way to experience Kunqu is not in a large theatre, but in an intimate, classical garden setting. The Master-of-the-Nets Garden in Suzhou offers incredible evening performances where you are guided from pavilion to pavilion, watching different scenes performed in the very spots they were designed for, under the soft glow of lanterns.
