The Hunan Kunqu Opera with melodious tune was performed regularly at Xiangnan University, which has set off a campus wind of Hunan Kunqu Opera and ushered in a large number of new "insects" (the nickname of Kunqu Opera fans).

It is Teacher Chen Yu, the 32-year-old Hunan Kunqu enthusiast, who sets off an upsurge of Hunan Kunqu Opera.

Kunqu Opera was introduced into Chenzhou in the Ming Dynasty. It blended with Qi Opera, Hunan Opera and other local languages, music, folk customs, and formed a new Kunqu Opera which not only maintained the original essence, but also had a distinctive southern Hunan soil flavor and full of spicy flavor. In July 2015, the General Office of the State Council issued "Several Policies on Supporting the Inheritance and Development of Traditional Chinese Opera", which proposed to vigorously promote the introduction of traditional Chinese opera into the campus.

Usher in a large number of new "insects"

On May 24th of this year, the Peony Pavilion, the Tianxiang version of Hunan Kunqu Opera Troupe, was staged at the Xiangnan University's sailing concert hall. Nearly a thousand teachers and students were attracted by the unique charm of Hunan Kunqu Opera and the party lasted two hours without anyone leaving.

Many students who first understood the Kunqu Opera said, "I discovered the beauty of Kunqu Opera unexpectedly, and there was a way of life called "Kunqu Opera Appreciation. I used to think that listening to opera was very indigenous, but this time I was so crazy that all actors and actresses have a solid foundation."

Gong Maojun, a student of the Nursing College of Grade 2016 in Xiangnan University, was still excited as she walked out of the hall, and confessed that she had never seen Kunqu Opera before. The event not only gave her a chance to contact with the classics, but also to feel the elegance and holiness of traditional opera.

"Tonight's performance will increase our cultural heritage and enrich our students' aesthetic connotation. This is a feast of culture and art, which is enough to highlight the charm of Chinese traditional culture." Professor Cao Shizhu, the former president of Xiangnan University, hoped that the performance could provide a platform for students to contact with elegant art, enhance their artistic accomplishment and create a better campus cultural environment.

A guide of "insects" in campus

Chinese Kunqu Opera, together with ancient Greek tragedy and Indian Sanskrit Opera, is called the world's three ancient dramas, and is also the first batch of "oral and intangible heritage masterpieces of mankind". But since the 1980s, with the popularity of popular songs, hip-hop and other forms of entertainment, traditional opera has gradually become desolate.

Chen Yu said: "While I appreciate the beauty of Kunqu Opera, I also hope that students can understand the charm of traditional Chinese opera culture from Kunqu Opera."

Therefore, when the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Finance implemented the elegant art into the campus activities with the theme of "approaching the master, feeling the classics, edifying the sentiment and improving the cultivation", Chen Yu saw the opportunity.She began to teach students little by little to look for information, conduct field investigations and questionnaires, constantly communicate and interact with the staff of the Kunqu Opera Troupe, and report and ask for instructions to the leaders of the school league committee.

In the past three months, mutual sincerity finally contributed to the development of activities. Undoubtedly, the university art activities into the campus have achieved unexpected success, for Chen Yu, her inner excitement and emotion is beyond words.

Become the academic talent of Kunqu Opera

The Hunan Kunqu Opera Troupe officially opened a long-term cooperation with the Xiangnan University in the form of performance, discussion and teaching. In addition, Chen Yu also instructed the establishment of the Quyi Youlan Student Association to turn her hobby into academic.

Chen Yu carried out scientific research in many provincial and municipal projects, such as "Practice and Exploration of Introducing Elegant Art into Colleges and Universities: Taking Kunqu Opera into Campus as an Example", "Understanding and Inheritance of Intangible Cultural Heritage: Taking Kunqu Opera as an Example", "Research on the Inheritance and Development of Hunan Kunqu Culture under the Concept of Coordination and Innovation" and so on, and won the 10th Session Chenzhou Outstanding Achievement Award for Social Sciences.

Of course, for the spread of Kunqu Opera, whether in class or after school, she still guides young students to appreciate the classical beauty of Kunqu Opera in her own form, improves students'aesthetic and humanistic qualities, and promotes the inheritance and development of fine traditional culture and art, including Kunqu Opera.