Dance drama shares iconic Lingnan culture
Production blends movement and emotion in a poignant exploration of personal and collective memory, Chen Nan reports.
The qiaopi tradition emerged in the 19th and 20th centuries, when emigrants from Guangdong and Fujian sent these letters, along with remittances, to their families back home. The letters were not just messages, but emotional lifelines that conveyed both financial support and a profound yearning to reunite.
Set in the late 1930s, the drama follows a moving family story. A father leaves his home to seek work in Southeast Asia, only to vanish without a trace. The mother, resolute but heartbroken, raises their son, with tireless love and sacrifice.
One night, during Lantern Festival, the son strikes the yingge mallet — a relic left behind by his father. This act transports him into a surreal, dreamlike world, where chaotic sights and sounds overwhelm him. Amid the turmoil, the son begins to understand the struggles and unspoken sacrifices of his father, while also embarking on a journey of self-discovery and personal growth.
