Beijing to Host Stage Art Exhibition on Historical Victories

Xinhua News Agency reports from Beijing that to mark the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, the Central Propaganda Department and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism will organize a distinguished stage art performance exhibition. This event is scheduled to take place from late August to late October 2025 in Beijing, featuring a total of 22 exceptional stage works that will be performed nationwide.

The showcased performances will highlight themes such as "remembering history, honoring the martyrs, cherishing peace, and crafting the future." A variety of artistic presentations will be included, ranging from dance dramas like "Deep in Memory" to concerts such as "Ode to Peace," and plays like "The Butcher," all of which reflect different facets of the international anti-fascist struggle. Additionally, modern crosstalk performances, musicals like "Harbin Under the Nightfall," and Shanghai operas such as "The Fire Seed in the Reeds" will depict the battles fought by guerrilla warriors and Communist Party members.

The exhibition will also feature plays such as "Longyin Residence" and acrobatic dramas like "First Sound." Traditional Peking opera pieces, including "Yanyitang," as well as Jiqing dramas like "Accumulated Virtue Spring," will portray the revolutionary spirit and values transmitted through family stories during the anti-war period. Other performances will include "Yanshui Ballad," "Art in the Anti-Japanese War," and dance dramas like "Singing with Blood," which celebrate the creative contributions of revolutionary artists.

Audiences can look forward to ballet dramas like "Return of the Red Lotus," operas like "The Spirit of the Overseas Chinese in the Flames of War," and local operas that illustrate the awakening of national consciousness, such as "The River Flows East" performed in Long Opera, "On the Sun Mountain" in Huangmei Opera, and "The Camel’s Flag" in Cantonese Opera.

Moreover, the exhibition will present plays such as "Song of Qiantang," which highlights the resilience of the older generation of intellectuals, along with children's dramas like "The Information That Cannot Be Sent Out" and Peking opera "Little Soldier Zhang Ga," which tell the stories of young lives resisting Japanese invasion during the conflict.

This presentation will combine in-person performances with online streams, offering approximately 40 performances across 11 theaters. Notable venues will include the Central Opera House, the National Theatre, Tianqiao Theatre, Beijing Music Hall, and Beijing Tianqiao Arts Center. Video recordings of the performances will also be available on key platforms, including central media channels and the online portals of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, ensuring that these remarkable works reach a wider audience and enhance the exhibition's impact.