Cantonese Opera "Princess Wencheng" to make grand debut at 2026 Guangzhou Art Season

BY :SilkRoadPost

UPDATED :2026-06-11

On June 13, Cantonese Opera Princess Wencheng (《文成公主》) — a highlight of the opera performances at the 2026 Guangzhou Art Season — will be staged at the Hung Sin Nui Grand Theater. Come and experience a timeless rendezvous with the glorious Tang Dynasty spanning a thousand years!

Based on the true historical event of Princess Wencheng's marriage alliance with Tubo (ancient Tibet), the opera tells the remarkable story of how the princess spent forty years spreading civilization from the Central Plains and promoting cultural exchanges and ethnic unity between the Han and Tibetan peoples.

Li Jiayi — the Plum Performance Award winner — portrays Princess Wencheng through five distinct Cantonese Opera role types: Xiaosheng (young male), Huadan (vivacious female), Daomadan (female warrior), Qingyi (virtuous female), and Laodan (elderly female). She depicts Princess Wencheng's life journey from a teenage maiden to a grey-haired woman in her fifties, crafting a vivid portrait of a wise, resilient, and deeply admirable female figure.

The production's stage design, lighting, and costumes vividly capture the folk features of the prosperous Tang Dynasty and Tubo. Integrating the cultures of the Central Plains and Tubo, the performance unfolds a magnificent scene of unique Han-Tibetan appeal.