As one of the five main types of Chinese Opera (Huangmei, Peking, Yue, Henan, and Ping Opera), Henan Opera is listed among the national intangible cultural heritage. It boasts a high artistry with sonorous and cadenced vocal music parts, emotional and energic tunes, clear lyrics, and full expressions of characters’ inner feelings. In order to help students from TCSL (Teaching Chinese as a Second Language) to better understand this important part of Chinese culture, Associate Professor Ruan Guijun from Research Institution of Chinese-teaching invited Ms. He Yanfang, a Henan Opera actress from Zhengzhou (the capital of Henan Province) to teach lyrics, vocal parts, gestures and dance-acting of Henan Opera.

Ms. He is showing the gesture of Dan roles in Henan Opera

Ms. He introduced basic knowledge about Chinese opera and the history of Henan Opera. After students were showed how to draw facial makeups, their interest towards Chinese Opera was fully aroused by the colorful and patterned facial makeups. Moreover, they gradually discovered the charm of Henan Opera when the teacher taught them step by step how to warm up vocal cords and how to breathe.

The wonderful course of Ms. He attracted many students from School of International education

All students had a good command of basic singing skills and gestures and can perform independently

At the end of the course, Ms. He confessed that she was deeply touched by Wuhan University’s insight of the importance of the inheritance of traditional Chinese culture and its responsible attitude to take actual action. In addition, she was also deeply impressed by WHU students. It is hard for them to perform a solo Henan Opera from zero after short-time study. Nowadays, few young people are on their initiative to get to know Henan Opera, and no other higher education institutions offer Henan Opera courses than Peking University, Henan University and Wuhan University. She welcomed more opportunities for students to know this art form and explore its attractiveness. The students welcome more lively and fascinating courses of such kind to enrich and increase their cultural literacy which is essential to spreading Chinese culture to the rest of the world.

Rewritten by He Jingyi

Edited by Zheng Lingling, Shen Yuxi and Hu Sijia