A series of activities on the theme of Suzhou culture and Chinese Lunar New Year were held at China Institute in New York on the afternoon of Jan. 8 (EST), attracting over 500 people, more than double the planned number of participants.
The activities were held in separate rooms. Cheng Feng and Xie Ying, performers of pingtan, or storytelling and ballad singing in Suzhou dialect, brought the audience a classical piece, introducing “the most beautiful voice in Suzhou” as well as traditional Chinese musical instruments such as sanxian and pipa to foreign audiences.
In another room, Yao Huifen, representative inheritor of Suzhou embroidery, which was listed in the first batch of national-level intangible cultural heritages, was presenting the elaborate techniques of embroidery. The double-sided Suzhou embroidery wowed audiences with marvelous workmanship. One audience, who has been to Suzhou a decade ago and is very fond of Suzhou embroidery, even arrived at the site early after knowing the event would be held.
A Kunqu Opera performance was also staged. Performers Shen Fengying and Shen Guofang, who are actors in the youth version of The Peony Pavilion and have performed over 400 shows around the world, even showed the audience how to make up, which is usually done backstage.
Special activities including making dumplings, lion dancing, storytelling on Chinese zodiacs and appreciation of Biluochun tea, a specialty in Suzhou, were also held. Regardless of nationality, color, or language, the audience shared the bustling festive vibes of Spring Festival and the elegance of Suzhou. The cultural city also took the opportunity to earnestly invite international friends to come and listen to pingtan, feel the charm of Kunqu Opera, and admire the coexistence of her classical and modern sides.
