Jiangnan Elegance in Hong Kong: A Day of Pingtan and Kunqu

Event Overview

Presented as part of The 2nd HKU Libraries and Chamber of Young Snow Culture Festival, Jiangnan Elegance in Hong Kong: A Day of Pingtan and Kunqu brings together two major Jiangnan performing traditions, inviting audiences to experience their artistry through technique, literature, music and staged performance.

Event Details

• Date｜Saturday, 7 November 2026
• Venue｜Yuet Ming Auditorium, 5/F, Chong Yuet Ming Cultural Centre, HKU
• Language｜Putonghua
• Programme｜Performance

Programme Schedule

2:00 pm – 3:00 pm

“Conveying emotion through water-polished tune and dance” — Kunqu’s “Telling Stories through Song and Dance”, Part I

The beauty of Kunqu lies in the seamless unity of song and dance, and in the art of storytelling through technique. Without song, there is no lyrical resonance; without movement, there is no visible form. Vocal expression conveys inner feeling, while physical gesture shapes character. This special programme follows the central thread of “from technical analysis to full stage realisation”, offering a progressive experience that moves from daytime theoretical and practical study to an evening stage presentation. The two parts are closely connected, unfolding step by step and rising layer by layer in artistic depth: The workshop breaks down Kunqu’s core techniques—vocal expression and physical movement—through explanation, examples, and hands-on learning, helping audiences understand how song and gesture support storytelling. 

4:00 pm – 5:00 pm

Jiangnan Soundscape: Eileen Chang and the Pingtan Music of Half a Lifelong Romance

The programme explores how pingtan translates Eileen Chang’s literature through Jiangnan sound and rhythm. Combining an introduction to pingtan with a reading of Half a Lifelong Romance, it shows why this art form so powerfully conveys Chang’s aesthetics of desolation and regret, leading audiences into an immersive appreciation of a classic stage performance. 

8:00 pm

“Conveying emotion through water-polished tune and dance” — Kunqu’s “Telling Stories through Song and Dance”, Part II 

The evening performance then brings these techniques to the stage through fully costumed excerpts from classical Kunqu works, showing how voice and movement shape character, emotion, narrative, and poetic atmosphere. Together, the two parts guide audiences from technical understanding to a fuller appreciation of Kunqu’s artistic beauty. 

Guest Artists

Zhang Jun

Zhang Jun is the principal of the Affiliated School of Shanghai Theatre Academy, UNESCO Peace Artist, winner of China’s Plum Blossom and Magnolia awards. Nicknamed the “Prince of Kunqu.”

Gao Bowen

Gao Bowen is a first-class performer, Director of the Shanghai Pingtan Troupe, and a national representative inheritor of intangible cultural heritage. 

Wu Xiaoyun

Wu Xiaoyun, a second-class performer and one of the Shanghai Pingtan Troupe’s “Five Golden Flowers”, is known for her sweet voice, graceful stage presence, and mastery of the Yu tune, Nü Jiang tune and Qi tune.