Culture Beat: Opera ‘Minning Town’ to be unveiled in Beijing

Performers rehearse for the Chinese opera Minning Town at the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing on February 20, 2023. Photo: Li Hao/Global Times

 
Opera Minning Town is set to be launched at the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing on Wednesday. The show reflects the historic achievements of China's poverty alleviation and rural revitalization strategies.

Adapted from the popular TV series of the same name from 2021, Minning Town narrates the vast changes in contemporary Chinese society with a strong Northwest sense, showcasing the history of relocation and economic development of the people of the Western Loess Plateau. 

In the 1990s, the locals in Yongquan village moved to Yongning county near Yinchuan, capital city of Northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, and established an economic development zone from scratch. It presents the great achievements of China's poverty alleviation and shares the valuable experience of urban development.

The opera draws extensively from folk music elements such as Shaanxi and Shanxi folk songs, with plenty of catchy tunes throughout the entire opera, brimming with the rich flavor of the Northwest.

The stage design vividly presents the regional elements of Ningxia, demonstrating the spirit of cooperation in advancing together.