site.btaChinese National Peking Opera Company to Perform in Bulgaria for the First Time for Chinese New Year

The Chinese National Peking Opera Company is visiting Bulgaria for the first time in celebration of the Chinese New Year. Today, February 6, the National Palace of Culture (NDK) will host the event.

The performance takes place in honor of the Spring Festival, known as the Chinese New Year, and is part of the international cultural initiatives of China’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism - “Happy Chinese New Year” and “Hello, China!” The event is organized with the support of both Bulgarian and Chinese institutions.

The Bulgarian tour includes two performances, with the artists performing in Plovdiv on February 9.

The company is visiting with a large ensemble, led by its president, Wang Yong. This is the first presentation of the institution in Bulgaria on such a scale in its modern history and takes place in a year marking the 77th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Bulgaria and China.

The Bulgarian programme will feature classical arias and excerpts showcasing different artistic schools and performance styles of Peking Opera. These include the Mei, Shang, Cheng, and Xun schools, which embody the richness of the female “dan” roles, as well as the Qiu school - the highest expression of the “jing” art, the masked male characters.

The Chinese National Peking Opera Theater is a leading cultural institution under the auspices of China’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism. Its history began in 1942 with the establishment of the Peking Opera Research Institute in Yan’an, and in January 1955 the theater was officially founded. Its first director was the legendary master Mei Lanfang.

This visit marks the first major tour of the Chinese National Peking Opera Company in Bulgaria since its official founding in 1955. 

Peking opera is the dominant form of Chinese opera, which combines instrumental music, vocal performance, mime, martial arts, dance and acrobatics.