Opera charts history of Shanghai's artistic wartime explosion

During the 1930s, against the backdrop of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-45), young revolutionaries in Shanghai were busy creating different forms of art, such as songs, dramas and movies, out of their fervent desire to encourage people to fight for the nation.

Among them was songwriter Nie Er (1912-35), who was born in Kunming in Yunnan province and moved to Shanghai in 1930. Nie died young at the tender age of 23.

Along with poet, scriptwriter and lyricist Tian Han (1898-1968), Nie composed March of the Volunteers in 1935, a song that provided great encouragement to soldiers and civilians alike during the war. The song was later chosen as China's national anthem, and was played during the founding ceremony for the People's Republic of China at Tian'anmen Square in Beijing on Oct 1, 1949.

Inspired by the story of the song, the Shanghai Opera House has produced an opera, also titled March of the Volunteers, which premiered in Shanghai last December. It will make its debut at the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing this Friday and Saturday.

According to Zhao Lei, Party secretary of the Shanghai Opera House, the Beijing shows mark both the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China and the upcoming 90th anniversary of the song, which will be celebrated next year.

"When we prepared for the opera, we visited the Pathe Villa in Shanghai's Xuhui district, where it was recorded," says director Liao Xianghong, adding that the building once housed the recording studios of Pathe Records, and was the birthplace of China's recording industry. "Today, people visit to learn about the history of China's recording industry. There are also photos and historical documents showing how March of the Volunteers was born, which connects people to history."