At 19:30 on June 18th, the mini opera “Love of the Ancient Tea Tree,” a project sponsored by the Yunnan Arts Fund for 2023's small-scale productions and works creation, premiered at the Art Practice Theater of the School of Music and Dance, Kunming University.
Photos provided by the performance of “Love of the Ancient Tea Tree”
According to the introduction, “Love of the Ancient Tea Tree” uses ancient tea trees as its entry point, adopts the form of a mini opera, and follows a timeline to tell a touching story about the relationship between humans and nature. It aims to introduce more people to Yunnan and its excellent culture shared among multiple ethnic groups.
Group photo from the premiere of “Love of the Ancient Tea Tree” (photos provided)
The mini opera “Love of the Ancient Tea Tree” tells the story of the Lahu, Bulang, Dai, Hani, and other ethnic groups living together in the lush southwest border region of China. They revere and Respect nature, planting tea trees under natural forests, creating ancient tea forests that have thrived for thousands of years over vast areas. This story has been passed down for centuries and, in this new era, resonates with a new symphony of harmony between humans and nature.
Creators sharing their creative journey (photos provided)
During audience entry, a song version of “Love of the Ancient Tea Tree” was played continuously, reflecting the production team's creative approach of transforming “a single song into a full show” and “a legendary tale into the spirit of contemporary harmony between humans and nature.” At the sharing session, the main creative team discussed their creative process. The performance hall was packed that evening, with enthusiastic audiences and frequent applause.