Beijing to Taiwan: Artist pushes Peking Opera in Taipei

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A renowned Peking Opera artist based in east China island region Taiwan is promoting the traditional art form with exhibitions and performances.

From Saturday, Wei Haimin will hold a month-long exhibition in Taiwan about the characters she played during her professional career. She will also perform four Peking Opera shows in Taipei in July.

Wei Haimin poses in front of the wall of pictures presenting the roles she has played at the exhibition in Taipei on June 29, 2018. /VCG Photo

"I feel very thankful for the different characters I played in Peking Opera, which taught me a lot about life and about Chinese history and culture," said Wei, 61.

Wei started learning Peking Opera at a young age. She became the apprentice of famous performer Mei Baojiu (1934 – 2016), son of Peking Opera master Mei Lanfang (1894 – 1961), in 1991 and has since engaged in many cultural activities across the Taiwan Strait.

Speaking of passing on traditional culture, Wei said she has made speeches at high schools in Taiwan since the 1990s.

May 26, 2011: Mei Baojiu (1934 – 2016) (L) and his apprentice Wei Haimin /VCG Photo

"I also performed a lot, just to let the audience understand that Peking Opera is not boring," she said. "I want to let them know that this art form is interesting and fun to watch."

Wei said that as a Peking Opera performer, it is her responsibility to promote it in public.

"Peking Opera originated in Beijing, but it has also seen good development in Taiwan," she said. "I hope there will be more cultural communication between Taiwan and the Chinese mainland."

(Cover photo: File photo taken on Mar. 20, 2016 shows Wei Haimin performing "The Drunken Concubine," the classic opera masterpiece of Mei Lanfang, in Taiwan. /VCG Photo)

Source(s): Xinhua News Agency