Dance drama 'Wing Chun' graces Guangzhou

On Friday night, Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong Province, experienced a different kind of "heat" as the performance of "Wing Chun," a dance drama produced in Shenzhen, raised its curtain at the Guangzhou Opera House.

"Wing Chun" set the stage ablaze with its stunning performance, evoking astounding praise from the audience. The dance drama has garnered glowing reviews and popular acclaim throughout its domestic tour because of its outstanding artistic qualities and unique representation of Lingnan culture.

A scene of dance drama "Wing Chun." File photo

The venue was packed out at 7:30 p.m., when the show began. After the performance, a large number of spectators remained, forming long lines for the autograph signings and a chance to meet the cast close up.

A spectator surmaned Fan shared her feelings, "After watching the drama, we felt it exceeded our expectations! We were familiar with the story of 'Wing Chun' and Yip Man from previous films and videos. But feeling the whole-hearted performance of the actors, especially the leading man, was very impressive on-site. It was terrific!"

Dancers answer the curtain call after yesterday's performance at the Guangzhou Opera House. Photos from SZTV

Ms. Zheng, a spectator, stated that she was still overwhelmed with excitement long after leaving the theatre. “I was moved to tears during the performance. The depiction of the leading dancer, Chang Hongji, expressing his feelings of farewell to his wife through dance, touched me deeply. Moreover, the exhibition of Lingnan culture and the inheritance of Wing Chun were very heart-stirring.”

Earlier this year, "Wing Chun" rose to prominence with a stunning 13-minute showdown performance at the Bilibili 2023 New Year’s Eve gala, which pulled in 230 million viewers. This performance not only won it fame among young viewers but also set the stage for its nationwide tour.

Before the show started today, at 6 p.m., the lobby of the Guangzhou Opera House was filled as fans queued up to grab limited edition program brochures for the event. Local audience member, Ms. Li, said she was captivated by "Wing Chun" since its appearance at the Bilibili gala. Arriving early, she joined the line to purchase brochures and fans among other merchandise.

Dancers sign the program brochures and other merchandise after yesterday's performance.

"The merchandise is pretty cool, mainly in classic black and white. I'm interested in the martial arts elements in Wing Chun, hoping to have a different experience in the dance drama," said Li.

As "Wing Chun" returned to Guangdong, the birthplace of its protagonist, Yip Man, observers noted the strong Cantonese flavor present in the theater. Before the opening performance, martial artists from the Foshan Martial Arts School gave a spectacular warm-up performance, which was widely applauded and photographed by the audience.

“Wing Chun” tells a parallel story in which Cantonese martial arts master Yip Man migrated to Hong Kong in 1949, began to take in disciples and teach them Wing Chun, and also includes a story about how a film production company tries decades later to shoot a film about Yip, and unravel the myths surrounding this low-key master.