Cantonese Opera Artist Ou Kaiming

Yueju Opera, also called Cantonese or Guangdong Opera, is one of the major categories in Chinese opera. It originated in Southern China's Cantonese speaking areas and incorporates martial arts and acrobatics into the singing, dancing and acting. In May 2006, Cantonese Opera made the first China Intangible Culture Heritage list. But don't think the traditional performing art has lost its appeal.

Guangzhou, in Southern China, it is a city with over 22 hundred years of history.

It's here that Cantonese Opera was born.

And today in the shadow of the skyscrapers, in the humid lanes of the old town, come the sounds of gongs and drums.

45-year-old Ou Kaiming comes to practice at this mini theatre every day. His favorite role is Xiang Yu, better known as the self-styled "Xi Chu Ba Wang", the King of Western Chu.

Xiang Yu was one of ancient China's greatest generals. But his ambitions fell in defeat to the troops of Liu Bang, who later became the first emperor of the Han Dynasty. After the final battle, Xiang committed suicide, leaving behind endless legends.

Ou Kaiming is fascinated by Xiang's story. Where many see an egomaniac and a loser, Ou sees a hero.

Ou Kaiming said, "I appreciate the title of an article that I read long ago: Heroism cannot be judged on the basis of success or failure. In my opinion, Xiang Yu is a true hero, a 100 percent man of honor, although he was defeated. His stories have been interpreted by varied art forms like film and opera. When I started to plan a Cantonese Opera portraying Xiang Yu, the playwright, who's a good friend of mine, tried to persuade me to give up. It's an outdated topic that's been discussed to death. But I insisted and to me it is a fantastic experience, like a dream come true."

And the dream came true with the "Battle of Chu and Han".

The painstaking work showcases Ou Kaiming's powerful figure, intense, resonant singing, and sophisticated performance.

It could almost be said that Xiang Yu is Ou Kaiming's alter ego.

The play, which premiered at the Guangzhou Friendship Theatre in 2005, became a milestone of Ou's exploration of the operatic art.

It came ten years after Ou won the "Plum Blossom" Award, the highest honor of Chinese opera.

Ou Kaiming said, "Ou's stage images, both in traditional and modern plays, are very impressive. That makes him surpass his fellow actors. He is very devoted to the art and endeavors to improve his performance. He even did a Master course in Beijing to enhance his professional skills. In all, he is a very capable and innovative artist. Nowadays it's rare to see an opera singer like him."

Unlike many other acclaimed artists, Ou Kaiming is not from an opera family.

He wasn't even born in Guangdong province, but in neighboring Guangxi.

At the age of 13, he was selected to study Cantonese Opera. He spent three years learning the basic skills of the young and old male general role.

Ou continued his study at the Guangxi Arts School and finally joined the Nanning Cantonese Opera Troupe.

He soon established his status as a leading actor and headlined quite a few historical plays.

He portrayed brilliant young generals like Wu Song, Zhou Yu, Lin Chong and Luo Cheng.

His remarkable performance and impressive image soon drew the attention of the great master of Cantonese Opera, Hoong Ceen Leui.

It was just at this time that traditional operas across China were losing popularity.

Ou himself thought the curtain was coming down.

Then, in 1992, he got an offer he couldn't refuse.

Ou Kaiming said, "I was about to quit before I was transferred to Guangzhou. I was an amateur film and TV actor. At that time Cantonese Opera had declined and the market was shrinking. The opera was hardly seen in Guangxi and we all came to Guangdong to perform. One day, to my great surprise, I received a telegram from my master Hoong Ceen Leui."

The few words on the telegram changed Ou Kaiming's destiny.

He joined the prestigious Guangzhou Red Bean Cantonese Opera Troupe, which takes its name from a flowering tree found everywhere in Southern China.

He was formally apprenticed to Hoong, and in the later years, he frequently collaborated with the Cantonese Opera's most brilliant artist of all time.

Ou soon developed into a first-class Cantonese Opera artist and the troupe's leading actor.

In 1995, Ou Kaiming clinched the coveted 12th "Plum Blossom" Award.

Ten years later, he's finished the Master courses in Beijing's National Academy of Chinese Theatre Arts, and has been leading the group as deputy head.

Ou Kaiming is now regarded as the standard-bearer of Cantonese Opera on the Chinese mainland.

Ou Kaiming said, "Today's Cantonese Opera is the result of generations and generation of untiring efforts and reforms. The running water is clean and clear. We should preserve the traditional works and keep producing modern pieces. Veteran masters like Hoong Ceen Leui has pushed the art to a very high status, and our responsibility is develop it even higher."

And that's exactly how Ou Kaiming keeps his promises.

2007 saw the premiere of a revolutionary play the "Wedding on the Execution Ground".

And with it, Ou's career reached new heights.

The tight plot and dialogues and the multi-media stage setting have won them a wider audience of both old and young.

And with it has come more confidence to produce modern operas.

Yu Yong, head of Guangzhou Red Bean Cantonese Opera Troupe said, "The whole play is only two hours long, which is much shorter than traditional ones. We also use a symphony orchestra to accompany the singing, something never done before. We've toured in many cities in China like Beijing, and the audiences were delighted that they can understand the opera."

As well as focusing on tutoring the young actors, Ou Kaiming is constantly coming up with new ideas.

He says his next plan is "King of Nanyue", a legendary emperor who lived over 2000 years ago.

Ou Kaiming's heroic dreams continue, as does his love affair with Cantonese Opera.

Cantonese Opera Master Hoong Ceen Leui said, "Premier Zhou Enlai once told me that if we take Chinese operas as a garden, then Kunqu Opera is like the orchid, and Cantonese Opera is the red bean. We should take good care of the bean and keep it thriving."

Backstage, Ou Kaiming and his fellows are preparing for the next performance.

Their love of Cantonese Opera is matched by their fans.

A devotion that will keep the Cantonese Opera blooming in Southern China and elsewhere for a long, long time.