资讯详情
Feature: Cantonese Opera costumes exhibited in Havana to celebrate Chinese New Year
by Yosley Carrero
HAVANA, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- A collection of eight Cantonese Opera costumes is on display here for the first time as part of Chinese New Year celebrations on the island.
The costumes date back to the first half of the 20th century when Cantonese Opera was performed at various movie theaters operated by Chinese and their descendants at the city's Chinatown.
Back then, Havana also received Cantonese Opera companies from San Francisco, Los Angeles, Honolulu and Hong Kong.
The exhibit, which has been on view at the House of Chinese Arts and Traditions since early February, also showcases Chinese martial arts weapons, accessories and musical instruments used during opera performances.
Rayco Vera, an expert of heritage and conservation at the cultural center, helped mend the opera costumes stored for more than six decades.
"We have worked very hard for the current and future generations to learn more about Chinese culture's legacy," he said. "The experience has been revealing. It has been like travelling in time."
The Chinese opera is a vivid symbol of China and a very clear expression of Chinese people's way of thinking, Teresa Maria Li, director of the cultural center, told Xinhua.
"With these opera costumes on display, we want to celebrate Chinese Lunar New Year, a holiday season that brings Chinese people and descendants together regardless of the distance," she said.
"These colorful costumes have been handcrafted. It is really amazing," said 60-year-old Ivis Munoz, who lives near Havana's Chinatown. "Many people like me enjoy the contagious spirit of Chinese Lunar New Year."
Rolando Julio Rensoly, a senior Cuban historian, told Xinhua that movie theaters operated by Chinese descendants in Havana played a key role in spreading knowledge about Chinese opera.
The exhibition will run through the 2021 Spring Festival and can also be visited through an online gallery.
