Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4
The Chinese Culture Festival (CCF) 2026, organised by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD), will bring the complete two-part Kunqu opera “A Dream Under the Southern Bough” to the Hong Kong stage for the first time on July 31 and August 1 (Friday and Saturday) at the Sha Tin Town Hall. Shi Xiaming, president of the Jiangsu Performing Arts Group Kun Opera Theatre and winner of the China Theatre Plum Blossom Award (Plum Blossom Award), will lead the troupe’s fourth and fifth-generation talent to present an aesthetically stunning interpretation of the illusory life of Chunyu Fen in a dream within the Huai’an Kingdom, as depicted by Ming dynasty legendary playwright Tang Xianzu. This programme is also part of the 14th Chinese Opera Festival.
“A Dream Under the Southern Bough” is derived from “The Dream of Nanke”, one of the four legendary plays collectively known as the “Four Dreams of Linchuan” written by Tang. While preserving the core narrative and themes of the original text, the Jiangsu Performing Arts Group Kun Opera Theatre reworked the original 44 scenes into 17 scenes, and was first brought to the modern Kunqu stage in 2012 as a two-part production. Refined over more than a decade, “A Dream Under the Southern Bough” has evolved into a signature production of the troupe notable for its full range of role types and the mix of civil and martial elements.
While faithfully following the traditional conventions of Kunqu and the stylistic elegance of Southern Kunqu, the production reinterprets this classic play through an innovative visual aesthetic. The stage design combines traditional Chinese symbolic aesthetics with modern theatrical lighting. Suspended wooden elements and the minimalist “one table, two chairs” setup are seamlessly integrated, crafting an ethereal, dreamlike visual experience. The costume design incorporates elements of blue-and-white porcelain and traditional landscape paintings, constructing a realm where reality and illusion intertwine. The ensemble incorporates additional percussion such as yunluo (tuned gongs) and yinshu (bar chimes), and integrates Buddhist musical elements in final scene “The Elusive Journey End” to highlight the play’s meditative qualities in the original text.
Marking its Hong Kong debut, this performance features Shi Xiaming (as Chunyu Fen) alongside a vibrant cast. This includes fourth-generation Kunqu performers Zhao Yutao (as Monk Qixuan/Fourth Prince of Tanluo), Xu Sijia (as Princess Qiongying), Sun Jing (as King of Huai’an/King of Tanluo), and fifth-generation young talent He Xinyue (as Princess Yaofang) and more, carrying forward the fine legacy of this operatic legend.
Details of the two performances are as follows:
“A Dream Under the Southern Bough” – Part One
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Date and time: July 31 (Friday), 7.30pm
Chunyu Fen, a down-and-out military officer of the Tang dynasty, falls into a drunken slumber beneath a pagoda tree during the Ghost Festival. He dreams of entering the Huai’an (Ant Kingdom), where he marries Princess Yaofang. Appointed as the governor of Nanke for over 20 years, he reaches the pinnacle of success, immersed in the illusion of a prosperous, harmonious and splendid kingdom. In the scene “The Celestial Palace”, Chunyu Fen and Princess Yaofang fight against Fourth Prince of Tanluo. This exhilarating martial arts sequence brings Part One to a climax, while foreshadowing the dramatic shifts in fortune in Part Two.
“A Dream Under the Southern Bough” – Part Two
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Date and time: August 1 (Saturday), 7.30pm
Princess Yaofang falls ill and passes away. Chunyu Fen is summoned back to court and is appointed Left Prime Minister, but is later envied, framed, and exiled back to his hometown. Upon waking, he realises that his 20 years of rise and fall were nothing more than a fleeting dream. In the play, the aria “Ji-Xian-Bin” captures Princess Yaofang’s sorrow to leave her husband and homeland. The scene “Swinging Parties” reveals Chunyu Fen stepping on a path of no return where fame, ambition, and carnal desires entangle. In the final scene, “The Elusive Journey Ends”, Chunyu Fen attains spiritual enlightenment to become a monk. This production invites the audience to embark on a profound spiritual journey exploring love, ambition and self-realisation.
The Jiangsu Performing Arts Group Kun Opera Theatre is renowned for its rich artistic lineage and comprehensive range of role types. The troupe has on its cast nine bearers of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Kunqu at National and Provincial Levels, and 11 recipients of Plum Blossom Awards, inheriting the essence of Kunqu through classical and delicate performances. The troupe has built a repertory of around 300 classic works, and has created new original productions in recent years. In addition, it has given touring performances and exchanges in various places such as Italy, the United Kingdom, France and Japan, receiving high acclaim.
Both performances will be held at the Auditorium of Sha Tin Town Hall (STTH). Lyrics and dialogue are with Chinese and English surtitles. Tickets priced at $200, $300, $400 and $500 are now available at URBTIX (www.urbtix.hk). For telephone bookings, please call 3166 1288. The CCF 2026 offers various discount schemes, such as group booking discounts, package booking discounts and the newly introduced “Generations Together 1+1” discount. For programme enquiries and concessionary schemes, please call 2268 7325 or visit www.ccf.gov.hk/en/programme/jiangsu-performing-arts-group-kun-opera-theatre.
The programme also features a variety of free extension activities. These include two workshops introducing the stylised movements of the sheng (male) and dan (female) roles in Kunqu opera respectively (June 29 and 30), a demonstration talk on the painted faces of Kunqu (July 29), a meet-the-artists session (July 30) and a backstage tour (August 1). Since the spaces for online registration of the extension activities are full, those who are interested may wait at the venue’s entrance for a standby space on the day of the session. Any unclaimed spots will be released 10 minutes after the session begins on a first-come, first-served basis. For further details regarding the activities, please visit the above-mentioned programme webpage.
The programme also features an exhibition entitled “The Virtual Realm of Kingdom of Huai’an – The Staging of ‘A Dream Under the Southern Bough'”, which runs until tomorrow (June 27) at the Exhibition Gallery of STTH. It introduces the creation, artistic features and transmission of elegance, as well as a brief introduction to its role types and costumes. The exhibition will subsequently be relocated to the Foyer Exhibition Area of Tai Po Civic Centre from June 29 to August 2. Members of the public are welcome to visit.
The CCF, presented by the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau and organised by the Chinese Culture Promotion Office under the LCSD, aims to promote Chinese culture and enhance the public’s sense of national identity and cultural confidence, thereby facilitating patriotic education. It also aims to attract top-notch artists and arts groups from the Chinese Mainland and other parts of the world for exchanges in Chinese arts and culture. The CCF 2026 is held from June to September. It hosts various forms of distinctive stage programmes and related extension activities, film screenings, thematic exhibitions, talks, workshops, as well as community and school activities, affording the public and visitors more opportunities to appreciate and experience the beauty of fine traditional Chinese culture. For more information, please visit www.ccf.gov.hk.