24 Monday, August 27, 2018 LIFE CHINA DAILY HONG KONG EDITION CHORUS RISES FOR RUSSIA A Chinese opera will play soldiers, and sing­ ers of the Western Military inspired by District Ensemble will share the stage with Chinese sing­ Russian author ers, such as Zhang Yang and Xu Xiaoying. Boris Vasilyev’s According to Zhao Jia­ chen, vice­president of the tale of wartime NCPA, as well as the opera, the institution will present heroism is set to two concerts of classical opera arias jointly per­ make its St. formed by Chinese and Rus­ sian artists, celebrating the Petersburg debut, long­lasting friendship between the two nations. Chen Nan reports. Entitled Hello, Russia!, the concerts will be held at the he Dawns Here Are Central Academic Theatre of Quiet, an original the Russian Army on Sept 14 opera production by and 15. the National Center In addition to the perform­ for the Performing Arts, willT ances of one opera and two make its debut at the Mariin­ concerts, the NCPA will hold sky Theatre in St. Petersburg, a variety of art exchange one of Russia’s premier activities. Leading singers venues for performing arts, from The Dawns Here Are over Sept 11­12. Quiet will visit the Confucius The production will also Institute of St. Petersburg see artists from the Mariinsky University and the Chinese Symphony Orchestra and the Cultural Centre in Moscow, Western Military District to hold artistic dialogues and Ensemble perform together exchanges with the Russian with Chinese singers of the artists, university students NCPA for the first time. and art lovers. The opera, composed by “It will be the biggest cul­ Tang Jianping with libretto tural exchange program by Wan Fang, is inspired by between the NCPA and the Russian writer Boris Vasily­ Mariinsky Theatre yet,” says ev’s novel of the same title. It Zhao, adding that the tour tells the story of a senior ser­ was invited to St. Petersburg geant in the Soviet Red Army The story by the Mariinsky Theatre and and five female anti­aircraft the Alexandrov Ensemble of gunners, who courageously of The the Russian Ministry of fight off invading German Defense. troops in 1942. Dawns Here Are Zhao says since the open­ The opera was first staged ing of the NCPA in 2007, it has at the NCPA in November Quiet has staged performances by more 2015 to mark the 70th anni­ than 20 art troupes from Rus­ versary of the end of World influenced sia, including performances War II. That show saw the by both the Mariinsky Thea­ NCPA Symphony Orchestra generations of tre and the Alexandrov and Chorus perform under Ensemble. the baton of conductor Lyu Chinese people.” “President Xi Jinping met Jia. So far, the opera produc­ Tang Jianping, composer of the with Russian President Vlad­ tion has been staged at the opera imir Putin in June, strength­ NCPA for four rounds. ening the partnership “When I composed the between China and Russia,” opera, I wished that a Rus­ adding, the classic Russian says Kalinyuk Alexander, sian audience could watch it Top and above right: NCPA opera production, The Dawns Here Are Quiet, will tour Russia from Sept 11 to 15. Above left: NCPA resident story is told by Chinese art­ press officer of the Russian one day, since it’s about Rus­ artist Zhang Yang performs in the opera. PHOTOS PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY ists in this opera. embassy in Beijing. “The sia. Now, the upcoming tour “We share the same emo­ upcoming tour of the NCPA will fulfill my dream,” says bayan, an accordion, as well Music in Beijing, Tang, 63, with a Russian theme and I Here Are Quiet has influenced tion about war, which is cru­ to Russia will further deepen Tang. as melodies from Russian says that he was influenced have used all of my knowl­ generations of Chinese. Rus­ el, and we long for peace,” the friendship between our Tang spent nearly a year folk music. by Russian culture, includ­ edge of Russia to finish it, sians might not know how says Wang Xiaoying, director two peoples.” composing the opera, in As the director of the com­ ing literature, music and dra­ which is nostalgic and mean­ popular the story is in China, of the opera, noting that in which he used the traditional position department at the ma, while growing up. ingful to me,” Tang adds. especially the movie and the this new version, ballet danc­ Contact the writer at Russian musical instrument, Central Conservatory of “It’s my first composition “The story of The Dawns music featured in it,” he says, ers from the Mariinsky ballet [email protected] Hong Kong youth get a taste of life on the mainland By WANG RU was born and grew up in Kong, says: “We got to know [email protected] Xiangtan in Hunan province. about the activity from our Later, she went to Guang­ teachers. Continuous rain fails to dong province to work. She “Then, we became familiar dampen the enthusiasm of a met her future husband in The aim ... is to with the association. They group of 200 people from 1997, and then moved to Hong contact us when they have Hong Kong who are visiting Kong with him. enable people from activities we may want to take Tianjin, a city neighboring Now, she is a Hong Kong part in.” Beijing. resident who returns to her Hong Kong to learn Participants are required to This tour is part of the We hometown three or four times bear a part of the costs and Are Family exchange activi­ a year to visit relatives. about the history, the association pays for the ties organized by the New Over the past several years, rest. Home Association, a Hong she has worked as a volunteer culture and In Shaanxi, the participants Kong charity that brings with the association, and thus plant a tree near the Tomb of approximately 2,000 Hong got priority to take part in this development of Huangdi (the “yellow emper­ Kong people, especially activity with nine other vol­ mainland cities.” or”), a legendary figure who is youngsters, to visit cities on unteers from the same dis­ considered to be the ancestor the mainland every year. trict. Li Sze­lim, chairman of the of all Han Chinese in Chinese “I visited Tianjin for the For Zhong Kiushum, a supervisory board of the New mythology. The water and soil first time in 1991 on business. 14­year­old middle school stu­ Home Association they use are from both Hong But this time I have seen great dent, this tour is a chance to Kong and Shaanxi to symbol­ changes here,” says Xie Yiling, see a city on the mainland. Young people from Hong Kong visit the Tianjin Planning Exhibition Hall on Aug 19, as part of the We ize the bonds between Hong who is from Kwai Tsing dis­ Both her parents are from Are Family exchange activities organized by the New Home Association. PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY reform and opening­up over Kong and the mainland. trict in Hong Kong. the mainland, and moved to the past four decades has In Tianjin, Li hopes the visi­ “There were no high­speed Hong Kong. to figure out how they lived in jing, Shanghai, Fujian and says: “The aim of We Are Fam­ brought about. tors can see the city’s trains and very few highways She has also visited her such a big house,” says Zhong. Zhejiang. ily is to enable people from Also, a tour of Tianjin can progress. in Tianjin during my last visit. mother’s hometown in Sich­ During her school’s sum­ The activities are supported Hong Kong to learn about the show Hong Kong youth the A third group is to visit But this time, I am really uan province. mer vacation, Zhong and her by the Government of the history, culture and develop­ opportunities available for Guangdong province to check impressed by the orderly and Speaking about the trip, mother, a volunteer with the Hong Kong Special Adminis­ ment of mainland cities.” personal development on the out the Guangdong­Hong well­developed transporta­ Zhong says: “I wanted to see New Home Association, help trative Region and Liaison According to Li, young peo­ mainland, he says. Kong­Macao Greater Bay tion systems.” Tianjin, and I am amazed to organize charitable activities. Office of the Central People’s ple from Hong Kong have We Are Family activities are Area after the Hong Kong­ She also says that similar find European­style architec­ Among the other places on Government in the Hong poor knowledge about Chi­ open to the public in Hong Zhuhai­Macao Bridge comes changes have taken place in ture and skyscrapers here. the visitors’ itinerary are the Kong SAR. nese history and culture. So, Kong on a first­come, first­ into operation. Beijing, compared with what “Steamed buns in Tianjin National SuperComputer Meanwhile, besides the activities of this kind offer served basis, but the Tianjin Giving his take on the pro­ she saw 20 years ago. are very tasty,” she adds. Center, the Ancient Cultural Tianjin trip, about 800 youth them a chance to overcome tour is special since volun­ gram, Hui Wing­mau, the “I was in Beijing in 1998. She says she looks forward Street, Wudadao district and from Hong Kong traveled to this shortcoming. teers are given priority. chairman of the board of the But this time when we got off to visit the residence of the Nankai University. Shaanxi province a few days “That is why we chose Hong Kong schools are also New Home Association, says: the plane, I found everything Shi family, a legacy of one of The exchange activities earlier.