On September 20th, Fosun International Chairman Guo Guangchang shared his experience of attending a unique intangible cultural heritage concert at Yu Garden. According to him, a water stage was constructed for the first time on the lake beneath the Nine-Turn Bridge, where performances of Kunqu opera's The Peony Pavilion, Peking opera's The Drunken Beauty, and Huangmei opera's The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl resonated in turn under the moonlight, featuring both renowned opera masters and young performers of traditional culture. "These are melodies and tunes passed down for centuries, which were sung in a new way last night. The new music project blended Kunqu opera with electronic beats," Guo remarked.
He also noted that just a few hundred meters away at BFC on the Bund, another performance was taking place, where traditional instruments such as the guzheng and xiao collided with electronic rhythms from foreign musicians, with an electronic rendition of Ode to Pear Blossoms echoing against the backdrop of the waterfront's lights. On one side lies China's intangible heritage within the old city walls, and on the other, world music along the banks of the Huangpu River—one Chinese, one Western, one linked to tradition, and the other opening a path to global dialogue. "I believe that intangible cultural heritage should not merely be artifacts displayed in museums. It is better suited to thriving in the vibrancy of everyday life, becoming a Chinese voice sung to the world. This autumn, Yu Garden and the Bund are hosting a series of splendid performances. Everyone is welcome to come, listen to the opera, and enjoy the moonlight," he concluded.
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