Centuries-old Chinese opera captivates new fans in Berlin

The evening opened with Nine-Section Dragon, a folk performance featuring a long, brightly colored "dragon" carried by a team of performers. They ran, jumped, rolled, and spun across the stage, making the "dragon" twist, rise, and dive through the air in fast, carefully coordinated movements.

The program also showcased other forms of traditional Chinese stage art. One highlight was face-changing, a technique in which a performer appears to switch from one colorful mask to another in the blink of an eye.

The evening closed with the Monkey King Thrice Beats the White-Bone Demon, based on a well-known episode from the Chinese classic Journey to the West. In the story, the Monkey King sees through a demon's tricks as she repeatedly changes her appearance to fool his companions.

On stage, the actors told the story through powerful singing, fast-paced fight scenes, acrobatics, and expressive movements, making it easy to follow even for viewers not familiar with Chinese opera.

The Chinese Cultural Center in Berlin and the Zhejiang Wu Opera Troupe jointly organized the event, with support from the Bank of China Frankfurt Branch. When the show ended, the audience gave a standing ovation and applauded as the actors returned for their final bows.

He Wenbo, deputy director of the Chinese Cultural Center in Berlin, said that through classic stories, vivid movements and expressive performance, the show crossed language barriers and offered local audiences a window into Chinese storytelling, creating meaningful cultural exchange.

"I don't speak Chinese, but I could still follow the story and feel the emotion," Berlin resident Sarah Keller said. "I came here knowing very little about Wu Opera, but now I'd love to see more."

XINHUA