Hangzhou offers performance, floral delights for Spring Festival holiday
For many, the weeklong Chinese New Year holiday means long lines and crowded tourist destinations. For those who want to avoid heaving throngs and hectic holiday experiences, Hangzhou has plenty to offer.
Activities are being hosted to showcase intangible cultural heritage and performances to celebrate the Year of the Dragon. Also, as the curtain of spring truly lifts, tourists can take in the beautiful sights, sounds and smells of Hangzhou. Shanghai Daily has listed some activities that include the local traditions of Hangzhou.
Yueju Opera performance
Yueju is a Chinese opera style that originated in Zhejiang Province. Today, it is still popular with Zhejiang locals, especially the middle-aged and older. During the Chinese New Year holiday, seven performances will be staged at the Huanglong Cave, which is a traditional venue for local opera performances.
As a graceful, feminine opera, most male roles, which are typically young nobles and scholars, are played by women in Yueju. The theme of all seven performances is romance, the music is gentle and melodic, and there are no crashing cymbals or martial arts involved.
Dates: February 12, 9am, 10am, 10:45am,1:45pm; February 13, 9am, 10am,1:45pm
Venue: Huanglong Cave
Admission: 15 yuan (free for children under 6 years old and seniors over 70)
Address: 69 Shuguang Rd
曙光路69号
A scene from the classic Hangju "Long Feng Suo."
Hangju Opera performance
Hangju, or Hangzhou Opera, is a genre that was prevalent in the Hangzhou-Jiaxing-Huzhou Plain a century ago. It is performed in the Hangzhou dialect and has developed a solid foundation 100 years ago.
However, Yueju Opera has stolen the thunder from Hangju, along with social development, which in return made the latter disappear for about 40 years. In 2001, local troupes started to again put on Hangju performances, bringing the historic opera form back to the public.
For years, Hangzhou troupes have created new repertoires in a bid to attract a larger following. The Huanglong Cave will offer the classic Hangju opera "Long Feng Suo" during the holiday.
Date: February 14, 1:45pm
Venue: Huanglong Cave
Admission: 15 yuan (free for children under 6 years old and seniors over 70)
Address: 69 Shuguang Rd
曙光路69号
A sizhu performance is being staged at the Qianwang Temple.
Sizhu performance
Sizhu, literally "silk and bamboo," refers to traditional Chinese stringed and woodwind instruments. Silk was the material from which strings were made, and bamboo was the material used to make Chinese flutes.
Unlike Western orchestras, which can contain nearly 100 members, a traditional sizhu orchestra only has five to a dozen musicians, according to the different performances. The four main basic instruments are the erhu (a two-string vertical fiddle), dizi (a bamboo flute), pipa (a pear-shaped lute with four strings), and the yangqin (a hammered dulcimer).
During the Chinese New year, visitors can watch authentic sizhu performances in the Qianwang Temple, which honors Emperor Qianliu of the Wuyue Kingdom (AD 907-978) and the Qian family's preeminent offspring throughout history.
Dates: February 14, from 2pm to 4pm; February 24, from 2pm to 4pm
Venue: Qianwang Temple
Admission: 15 yuan (free for children under 6 years old and seniors over 70)
Address: 11 Nanshan Rd
南山路69号
A flower show at the Qianwang Temple celebrates the Year of the Dragon.
Flower and Bonsai exhibition
A flower show has opened at the Qianwang Temple to celebrate the Year of the Dragon. Flowers are arranged in styles inspired by poems about dragons. The bonsai represents the beauty and power of nature in a small container. Bonsai planting has been an art of great subtlety and refinement for centuries.
Dates: Through February 25
Venue: Qianwang Temple
Admission: 15 yuan (free for children under 6 years old and seniors over 70)
Address: 11 Nanshan Rd
南山路69号
Visitors to the Qianwang Temple can also smell the white plum blossoms.
Bianlian performance
Bianlian, or Face-Changing, is a popular performance at ceremonies, banquets and festivals. Performers wear vividly colored masks, typically depicting well known characters from opera, which they change from one face to another almost instantaneously with the swipe of a fan, a movement of the head, or a wave of the hand.
During the holiday, the Qianwang Temple has invited professionals to put on authentic bianlian performances. Opera aficionados should not miss this opportunity.
Date: February 14, 1:30pm, 2:30pm, 3:30pm
Venue: Qianwang Temple
Admission: 15 yuan (free for children under 6 years old and seniors over 70)
Address: 11 Nanshan Rd
南山路69号
