Peking Opera lights up Carthage

TUNIS — As the last rays of sunlight faded over the ancient theater of Carthage, night settled in, and the summer heat began to ease. Then the resonant strains of Peking Opera rang out.

The Monkey King, an iconic figure in the art form, appeared in a golden robe, moving in perfect sync with the drumbeats. His entrance unleashed a roar of applause that swept through the crowd.

On Tuesday evening, performers from the China National Peking Opera Company took the stage during the "Folklores of the World" segment of the 60th Carthage International Festival in Tunisia.

More than 20 performers presented Havoc in the Heavenly Kingdom, a classic Peking Opera work, captivating a Tunisian audience eager to experience the richness of traditional Chinese art.

The pounding drums and soaring vocals deeply resonated with Wissal Khlifi, a Chinese-language enthusiast. When the Monkey King led his "monkey children" onto the stage to battle the celestial army, the theater erupted in cheers and applause. Khlifi let out an excited cry and immediately pulled out her phone to capture the dazzling spectacle.

"I've seen face-changing and acrobatics before," she says, "but this was my first time watching Peking Opera. The range of styles on display really speaks to the depth and richness of Chinese culture."

Among the "monkey children" onstage were five Tunisian practitioners of Chinese martial arts. One of them, 17-year-old Zayneb Mannai, has been training for 13 years and is now a member of the Tunisian Wushu Kung Fu Federation. She has traveled to China twice for martial arts competitions.

"When I was 4, I saw my brother practicing and was fascinated by the moves, so I started training too," she recalls.

In full makeup and costume, Mannai moved remarkably like a monkey. "Learning the choreography and stage positioning wasn't easy at first," she says, "but performing alongside Peking Opera artists was an incredible thrill for me and my friends."

Hend Mokrani, director of the 60th Carthage International Festival, says that while other international acts were given around 10 minutes each, Peking Opera was given a special 30-minute slot to open the show.

"We wanted to give the audience enough time to follow the story, discover a different form of theater, and experience the richness of Chinese culture," Mokrani says.

She also praised the artistic expressiveness and technical mastery of Chinese opera. "The audience's enthusiastic response says everything about their appreciation for Peking Opera. I hope to see more performances like this in Tunisia in the future. They're a wonderful bridge for cultural exchange between our two countries."

Backstage after the show, Tian Lei, vice-president of the China National Peking Opera Company, was still buzzing with excitement.

"Onstage, we were met with thunderous applause and warm appreciation. Offstage, I saw children eagerly applying makeup and trying out Peking Opera movements themselves," he says.

The company prepared three classic productions for this tour. Following its performance in Tunis, the troupe traveled to Sousse and Kairouan, where it staged shows from last Wednesday to Friday, according to Tian.

XINHUA