Red Maple Drama Club from Taizhou University won the title of “Rising Star” Outstanding Club, ranking first among Yue Opera (Shaoxing Opera) clubs and fourth overall in the 9th China Opera Culture Week University Club Competition. The event, lasting from September 29th to October 2nd, was hosted by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the People’s Republic of China and the People’s Government of Beijing Municipality.

Stage photo of “Dream of the Red Chamber · Lin Daiyu Burns Her Manuscripts”

Talent show

On the final stage, the students of the Red Maple Drama Club, with full emotion and exquisite skills, performed the classic excerpt “Dream of the Red Chamber · Lin Daiyu Burns Her Manuscripts”. The lead actors, Bei Han and Xu Yiqin, under the guidance of teachers Zhou Yixu and Tao Yuan, not only accurately grasped the vocal charm of traditional Yue Opera but also, through delicate and expressive performances, vividly shaped the tragic yet resilient artistic image of Lin Daiyu.

In the talent show section, the club members, in the form of recitation accompanied by colored silk dance, creatively interpreted the story of Lin Daiyu’s returning to the immortal realm after death. The affettuoso recitation and the flowing colored silks complemented each other, outlining the beautiful artistic conception of “Outside the Chixia Palace, the old bond is distant.” The clever coordination of sound effects on stage and the integrative expression of literary artistic conception and modern aesthetics deeply moved the judges and audience, showcasing TU students’ profound understanding and innovative interpretation of opera art.

Participating teachers and students

This award marks another breakthrough on the national high-level opera competition stage. As a national-level opera event jointly hosted by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the Beijing Municipal People’s Government, China Opera Culture Week University Club Competition brings together fine works from university opera clubs across the country. That Red Maple Drama Club can rank among the top in such fierce competition not only reflects the club’s solid artistic foundation and continuous pursuit of innovation but also demonstrates the solid effectiveness of TU in promoting cultural education and inheriting China’s outstanding traditional culture.

The acquisition of this honor is inseparable from the university’s high regard and long-term support for aesthetic education, the hard work of the instructor team, and the collective efforts of all club members both on and off stage.

Red Maple Drama Club will take this award as a new starting point, continue to be rooted in tradition, advance on the path of enriching campus culture and promoting opera dissemination, and to write new chapters for the youthful inheritance of China’s excellent traditional culture.