A lecture on traditional Chinese opera culture was held at Meiji University on December 18, arousing great interest of Japanese experts, scholars and general students.

On the lecture, plays including Farewell to my concubine, Divergence, etc. were staged by Shanghai Kunqu Opera Troupe and Shanghai Opera Arts Center after professor Kato Toru gave a brief introduction of the Chinese Operas as well as the Japanese Noh.

The Palace of Eternal Youth performed by reputable artists Cai Zhengren and Zhang Jingxian received a warm welcome from the audiences. “I came to Tokyo thirty years ago and performed the repertory in National Theater. I had not expected that I could perform it again today with my partner in such a famous university.” said 76-year-old Cai.

Japanese Noh artist Sakai who is to jointly perform the play expressed his excitement, “I think it is an exchange between people and also traditional arts. Both Chinese Kunqu opera and the Japanese Noh have been spreading for 600 years. I hope the two traditional operas could keep exchanging. Arts communication is vital for world peace.”

According to Gu Haohao, leader of Shanghai Kunqu Opera Troupe and also president of Shanghai Opera Arts Center, the lecture held in Meiji is specially designed, because it is not only a prelude to the co-starring of The Palace of Eternal Youth from December 19 to 20 in the form of integrating Chinese Kunqu Opera, Peking opera and Japanese Noh, but also a “pathfinder” for Chinese operas to enter Japanese universities in the future.