The Peony Pavilion — The Campus Youth Version staged in Taiwan on Jan 15. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The Peony Pavilion — The Campus Youth Version was staged in Taipei by college students from the Chinese mainland on Jan 15.

Created by renowned novelist Pai Hsien-yung, the youth version of the 16th-century romantic piece, adapted from the play of the same title by Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) playwright Tang Xianzu, premiered in 2004 and has since been staged more than 500 times.

Produced by the Suzhou Kunqu Opera Theatre of Jiangsu Province and Southeast University, the campus production brought together 50 students from 29 colleges, who underwent nine months of intensive training. It grew out of a project launched in 2024 to encourage young people to engage in the inheritance of Kunqu Opera, a 600-year-old Chinese operatic form inscribed on UNESCO's intangible cultural heritage list.

The campus production premiered in April 2025 in Jiangsu province.

Tang Rong, vice-president of the Suzhou Kunqu Opera Theatre of Jiangsu Province, said, "I am deeply moved by this performance in Taipei. So many college students not only are interested in traditional culture but are also actively involved. This is a huge encouragement to practitioners like us. Kunqu Opera will continue to innovate in passing on cultural traditions, and we also welcome students from Taiwan to join in the campus version of The Peony Pavilion."

Fan Yupeng, a student from Beijing who plays the role of Liu Mengmei, said, "The distinctive feature of the campus version of The Peony Pavilion lies in its interpretation of the classic from a youthful perspective, offering a feeling different from professional actors. We look forward to making more young friends from Taiwan during this visit and inviting everyone to join the big family devoted to inheriting Chinese culture."

The Peony Pavilion — The Campus Youth Version staged in Taiwan on Jan 15. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Source：China Daily