Renowned Chinese Peking Opera debuts at the Met

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Renowned Peking Opera “Farewell My Concubine” debuted at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York on Friday. Performers took to the stage in the first of their 10 performances over a two-week period in New York.

Based on real events from more than 2,000 years ago, the opera recounts a famous love tragedy and is set in the transitional period between the end of the Qin Dynasty (221-206 B.C.) and the beginning of the Han Dynasty (206 B.C.-AD 220).

"This is a very moving historical story. It is very well-known in China. It is not only a piece of war history, but is also a moving love story about the farewell between a hero and his concubine. In China, everybody likes this drama," said Shang Changrong, who plays the role of Xiang Yu, the main male character.

Peking Opera masters perform on stage. /Photo via The Paper‍

The opera was staged in an intimate setting for an audience of 60 people in what the Met says is the first Chinese scholar's garden built outside of China. Opera star Shi Yihong said it was the first time they have performed so close to an audience.

"The Chinese garden in the Metropolitan Museum has floors, stairs and stones from the ancient Chinese era. Performing in such a space is very, very special. The challenge was figuring out how to stage an opera in such a space, so that the audience feels personally in the scene, and can even play with us at the same time," said Shi Yihong, as the lead Concubine Yu.

American audience enjoying "Farewell My Concubine" at the Met. /Photo via The Paper

According to the staff, the Metropolitan Museum of Art chose the drama as a sort of companion piece to a recently completed exhibition titled "Age of Empires," which was devoted to the Qin Dynasty, the same period as the opera.

Mike Hearn, the Douglas Dillon Chairman of Asian Art at The Met, said that over 350,000 people saw the exhibition, remarking that there is a strong appetite for Asian culture in New York.

Shi Yihong, who plays Concubine Yu. /Photo via The Paper

"Asia is looming large on the horizon both economically and politically and so it's very important to have a cultural perspective, to have a historical sense of where these cultures come from," said Hearn.

US audiences watch Peking Opera "Farewell My Concubine" at the Met. /Photo via The Paper

The opera was first introduced to international audiences through the 1993 movie of the same name by director Chen Kaige. The movie, which explored the lives of individuals and families of mid-20th century China, won international fame.

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recounts a famous love tragedy.