Yueju Opera粤剧

许展坚

As a national intangible cultural heritage with a long history， Yueju operapresents an artistic feast（艺术盛宴）to people in the new era.

During the Ming Dynasty， opera was popular in Guangzhou， with foreignperformers on stage frequently.Many Cantonese were influencedand fell in love with it. Therefore，many locals participated， whichprovided opportunities for the birthof the Yueju opera. Then in theQing Dynasty， Yueju opera took in the great characteristics of other kinds of opera， which gradually turned into theversion we have today.

With the development of the times， Yueju opera was brought to Hong Kong，Macao and other places， which made it one of the most popular local operas all overthe world. Besides， Yueju opera also represents the feeling of nostalgia（鄉愁）. Itwas called the “red beans grow in the South” by Zhou Enlai， because it symbolizes adeep longing for home.

Today， the melodious（悠扬的）sound of Yueju opera can still be appreciatedin the Lychee Bay Scenic Area， and can be heard from some radio programs.President Xi Jinping noted， “Historical and cultural heritage bears the genes（基因）and blood of Chinese and belongs not only to our generation， but also to generationafter generation.” More and more young people are keen on Yueju opera. Theycreatively change the way it is performed and spread the culture in the form of onlinevideos.

Yueju opera is now shining new light in China and even all over the world.