Through Wing Chun, Shenzhen projects cultural confidence abroad

With its unique artistic charm and profound cultural connotations, Wing Chun, an original dance drama from Shenzhen, Guangdong province, has captured the attention of audiences at home and abroad, achieving resounding success both critically and commercially.

Produced by Shenzhen's publicity department and the bureau of culture, radio, television, tourism and sports, Wing Chunpremiered in December 2022. Over the past three years, the dance drama has toured 54 cities and 66 theaters worldwide, with stops in Singapore, London, Paris, Moscow, Saint Petersburg and beyond.

On Jan 4 local time, the production staged its 300th performance in Toronto, a milestone that not only marks a significant achievement for the production itself, but also stands as a stellar example of Chinese dance dramas making their way onto the world stage.

Hailed as a cultural sensation across China, Wing Chun draws inspiration from the legendary tales of martial arts icon Ip Man and his disciple Bruce Lee, tracing the evolution of wing chun as a traditional form of martial arts from its roots in southern China over 300 years ago to its global popularity today.

The production incorporates various martial arts styles, including wing chun, tai chi, baguazhang, and bajiquan. Through the dancers' powerful physical expressions and cinematic stage visuals, the dance drama embodies the classical Chinese philosophical idea that stopping conflict is the true essence of martial arts, conveying the raw power and grace of Chinese kung fu in its most vivid form.

Chang Hongji, a principal dancer of the Shenzhen Opera and Dance Theatre and the actor who portrayed Ip Man — the leading role in Wing Chun— shared that while learning martial arts was not difficult, mastering the strength and breath control required significant practice. “The breath in classical dance flows all over the body like water, but the breath in martial arts is more about sinking qi to the dantian (abdomen), and the force is vigorous," he explained.

Costume design is also a highlight of the production, with performers dressed in xiangyunsha, a national-level intangible cultural heritage fabric from China's Lingnan region, whose unique texture under stage lighting serves as a dynamic cultural symbol.

As the first large-scale Chinese-foreign cultural exchange event in Shenzhen since the launch of the APEC "China Year", Wing Chun has vividly demonstrated the city's growing cultural soft power, emerging as a force to be reckoned with in the global cultural landscape. For instance, its bold use of a dual-line narrative structure breaks new ground in stage storytelling, showcasing Shenzhen's innovative spirit.

Luo Weidong, the consul general of China in Toronto, remarked that Shenzhen's transformation from a border town to an international metropolis has fostered an open and inclusive urban character, giving rise to outstanding works of art like Wing Chunthat embody both traditional heritage and modern vitality.

Beyond this drama, Shenzhen continues to produce a steady stream of outstanding literary and artistic works spanning literature, music, dance, drama and other genres. On Oct 1 last year, for instance, The Deal, one of China's first immersive physical theatre productions and a Shenzhen original, made its global debut at Shekou Sea World, earning stellar reviews.

Additionally, from Oct 4 to 6, Shenzhen's first original crossover Cantonese opera premiered with great enthusiasm at the Poly Theatre. This production not only blazes a new trail for making traditional opera more appealing to younger audiences but stands as another landmark achievement of Shenzhen in the creative transformation and innovative development of fine traditional Chinese culture.

The emergence of these cultural masterpieces is inseparable from Shenzhen's emphasis on the development of its cultural industry. In terms of talent cultivation, the city places equal importance on attracting overseas talent and nurturing local professionals.

"After evolving from an economically developed special economic zone to a city prioritizing cultural industry development, Shenzhen's first step was to attract and recruit talent," said Zhang Yashu, a lead actress in Wing Chun and a core performer with the Shenzhen Opera and Dance Theater.

"I firmly believe that with such a talent-friendly environment for cultural development, Shenzhen's cultural industry will only thrive further, and it was precisely this factor that drew me to settle here," she noted. Zhang moved to Shenzhen in 2019 through a talent recruitment program.

According to official statistics, the added value of Shenzhen's cultural and related industries reached 296 billion yuan ($42.2 billion) in 2024, accounting for approximately 8 percent of its GDP.