HKFP Lens: Behind the scenes at a pop-up travelling Cantonese Opera House
Hong Kong Free Press
Hong Kong has seen performances of traditional Cantonese “operas for deities” across the territory in celebration of Tin Hau Festival, marking the birthday of the “Empress of Heaven.”
This year’s festival coincided with Labour Day on May 1. It is celebrated on the 23rd day of the third lunar month.
On Lamma Island, performance group Golden Dragon and Phoenix presented a traditional Cantonese opera in Yung She Wan for five consecutive nights.
Kicking off last Tuesday, the show featured Cantonese Opera titan Loong Koon-tin, who took part in 11 performances.
It took place at a makeshift bamboo theatre, erected by hand over several weeks in a playground.
Additional ferries were arranged for the audience to leave the island after the curtain fell each night.
Still popular across Guangdong, Guangxi, Hong Kong, Macau, and among Chinese communities abroad, the art form involves singing, martial arts, acrobatics, and acting with striking make-up and accompanying music.
Words by Hans Tse.
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