Yueju Opera brings Cao Xueqin to life
The Imperial Silk Manufacturer, a Yueju Opera production by Nanjing Yueju Opera Troupe, was staged at Peking University on Saturday.
Inspired by Cao Xueqin's classic novel Dream of the Red Chamber, the production tells the story of Cao, who completed the first 80 chapters of the novel, but was unable to finish the last 40. The opera sees him travel to Nanjing where he dreams about Lin Daiyu, Xue Baochai and other characters from his book, experiencing the happiness and sadness of their lives.
The Yueju Opera production features Li Xiaoxu as Cao Xueqin and originally premiered in August 2024.
Gathering young cast members, the production combines dance, Yueju Opera and contemporary stage sets to attract young audiences to the world of the Chinese literature classic.
