On August 26, 2018, Yue Opera Town held an Ancient Rhyme recitation at the Great Hall of the People, Zhejiang Province.
Since the Wei and Jin Dynasties, over 400 literati wrote more than 1,000 poems. The great poets such as Li Bai, Du Fu, Bai Juyi and He Zhizhang of the Tang Dynasty left behind an array of splendid poems. Their walking and sentiments paved a Way of Poems for the dynasty.
National level artists such as Pu CunXin, Chen Duo, Tong Zirong, Zhang Kaili, Mao Weitao, Xu Tao, Li Fazeng and Zhao Minfen appeared on stage one after another, reciting poems by literati created thousands of years ago concerted by the live performance of the Choir and the National Orchestra of the Zhejiang Song and Dance Theater. The impassioned or whispered verses of poem, recited either in the company of chorus or ensemble, or against a single piece of an ancient Chinese instrument such as the egg-shaped, holed wind Xun, or the vertical bamboo flute Xiao, or the Chinese Zither, were so impressive that they immersed audience into a poetic scenario and context.
What is to be noted especially is that, this was a performance for public good. Anyone was accessible to this high-level and high-quality show as long as they made an online reservation.
(Chairman of the China Theatre Association, famous actor Pu Cunxin recites Li Bai’s "Sleepwalking at Tianmu Mountain")
(Shengzhou’S Shanshan Primary School Children's Choir sings Li Shen’s "Peasants" and He Zhizhang’s "On Returning Hometown; Conductor: Peng Fei)