The Chinese Opera Gala (Kunshan) 2026, co-hosted by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the Jiangsu Provincial People’s Government, opened on the evening of September 23 in Zhouzhuang, an ancient water town in Kunshan.

Lu Yingchuan, Member of the Party Leadership Group and Vice Minister of China’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Shi Zhijun, Vice Governor of Jiangsu Province, and an artist representative Wang Yangjuan jointly launched the gala. Commemorative certificates were presented to 16 organizations whose works had been selected as outstanding examples of all-media communication of Chinese opera nationwide. The event also saw the release of the first China Kunqu Opera Blue Book, which provides a systematic review of the achievements and practices in Kunqu opera development since the beginning of the 21st century. The Blue Book and the Regulations of Jiangsu Province on the Protection, Inheritance and Development of Kunqu Opera—Jiangsu’s first provincial-level regulation on traditional Chinese opera, expected to be enacted later this year—will jointly provide both academic and institutional safeguards for the protection of Kunqu Opera.

At the opening ceremony, a digital presentation titled “AI Lights Up the Starry Sky of Chinese Operas” showcased 348 Chinese opera genres from across the country, creating a visual tapestry of China’s opera heritage surmounting mountains and seas and connecting the country from north to south. The presentation vividly portrayed a cultural landscape in which tradition meets the present and diverse opera genres flourish side by side. The opening performance, Pear Garden Mastery: A Showcase of Skills from Diverse Chinese Opera Genres, featured a selection of celebrated excerpts. Jinju opera’s Catching the Leopard, Kunqu opera’s Lanke Mountain: The Foolish Dream, Qinqiang opera’s Ghost’s Lament: Killing, and Peking opera’s Havoc in Heaven were performed in succession. Renowned artists and emerging performers showcased their mastery of singing, recitation, acting, and martial arts, while spectacular stage skills, including fire-spitting, Monkey King performance, and acrobatic combat, delighted the audience.

Lasting from September to November, this year’s gala umbrellas 21 events and 27 performances. A total of 61 theater troupes and 46 opera genres from across China will come together to present 57 classic excerpts and 10 full-length productions. The program will also feature special rescue performances of 14 precious opera genres that are at risk of disappearing. Thirty renowned opera artists will lead the performances.

Other than stage performances, the gala will also feature activities devoted to opera promotion, exchange, appreciation, and public education. A series of “Operas Plus” initiatives, including “Opera Parade: Operas Along the Way”, “Opera Empowerment: Industrial Coordination”, and “Opera Elegance: Appreciating Paintings Together”, will also be carried out. Through these initiatives, the gala aims to develop a broader “Performance Plus” model that integrates performances with culture, tourism, and commerce, while expanding and enhancing cultural consumption.