Cantonese Opera Lovers

On November 8, Rui Cunha Foundation visited the Cantonese Opera Lovers in Sun Yat Sen Park, to get to know better about this group and seeking for collaboration opportunities in the future to work together on preserving this charming art form of ancient China which in nowadays only a few can compare with.

Cantonese opera, one of the major styles of Chinese opera, was included as part of UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2009, is characterized by kaleidoscopic costumes, distinctive falsetto singing punctuated by gongs, and intricate gestures rich with symbolism.

Along with the change in times and competition from more modern performance art forms, the audience of Cantonese opera has been steadily shrinking and, worse, aging. Despite its popularity being diminishing, there is still a group of Cantonese opera lovers who will gather together on every weekend in Sun Yat Sen park, not just to practice and have fun, but also, to adhere and preserve this niche culture.