On May 3, 2022, the International Culture Federation (ICF) held its fourth salon forum at Gallery M2 in Improve Canada. The theme of the event was “Peking Opera and Life.” The forum featured Mr. Xia Hao, founder and leader of the Longsheng Peking Opera Troupe, together with co-leader Mr. Su Fang, and was hosted by Ms. Foresthill Rose, with co-sponsorship from CYCA and ACPN.
The Longsheng Peking Opera Troupe was founded in 2018 by six Peking Opera enthusiasts, including Mr. Xia. Over time, more lovers of Peking Opera joined, turning the troupe into a community that values the heritage of this art form and attracts many young and middle-aged aficionados. The troupe includes members covering a variety of roles such as qingyi (virtuous female), hualian (painted face), laosheng (old male), laodan (old female), huadan (vivacious young female), and xiaosheng (young male). As leaders, Mr. Xia and Mr. Su focus on improving the professional skills of troupe members, arranging rehearsals, organizing regular activities, and creating opportunities for learning and artistic exchange. Thanks to this positive atmosphere, members are motivated and the troupe has been able to perform more high-quality plays, engage in community cultural exchange activities, and earn wide recognition and praise from the public. Step by step, they have developed a performance model for Peking Opera that adapts well to Canada’s multicultural environment.
The troupe’s journey from nothing to its current scale has been far from easy. Mr. Xia explained that as an immigrant, he must devote much of his time and energy to working in order to support his family, so establishing Longsheng was possible only through the sacrifice of his limited spare time. He poured his heart into it out of genuine love for Peking Opera, which gave him the strength and motivation to bring together like-minded enthusiasts to perform. Mr. Su gave a brief overview of the troupe’s past, current, and planned activities, highlighting especially their cultural exchanges with other ethnic communities. Notably, Longsheng has established a cooperation program with Trent University in Peterborough, where members regularly perform and give lectures. Mr. Su himself has frequently visited Trent University to explain Peking Opera and Chinese traditional culture, with the hope of cultivating a group of Western enthusiasts.
Throughout the forum, both speakers emphasized the importance of seeking sustainable development for the troupe, radiating a spirit of positivity and determination. As overseas Chinese, preserving, revitalizing, and promoting Peking Opera abroad is no easy task. Yet Longsheng has persevered through many challenges, quietly growing and contributing to the spread of Peking Opera internationally. Their work embodies cultural confidence and soft power, but more importantly, represents the transmission of ancient Chinese civilization. They have truly succeeded in planting the roots of this national treasure abroad—allowing it to sprout, blossom, and bear fruit.
This session was co-organized by the ICF executive team together with the Federation’s Artists Club, Collectors Club, and Seniors Club.
