Mao Weitao and her first "virtual apprentice" — Shangguan Wan'er

Due largely to Mao Weitao's efforts to promote Shaoxing Opera, the 100-year-old art form, an intangible cultural heritage in China, has become increasingly popular among young Chinese. Under Mao's guidance, Shangguan Wan'er, a virtual actress, in November 2019 staged The Butterfly Lovers (a Chinese legend about the tragic romance between two lovers, Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai). Tencent, one of China's best-known Internet groups, used holographic-projection technology to create Shangguan. The event was held in Butterfly Theater, in Hangzhou, capital of East China's Zhejiang Province. Many people, including many young Chinese, were fascinated by Shangguan's graceful movements.

Given performers' beautiful singing and graceful movements, Shaoxing Opera has become one of the most popular traditional operas in China. The opera originated in the early 20th century in Shaoxing (a city in Zhejiang Province), it flourished in Shanghai during the 1930s, and it spread throughout the country within a short amount of time. As Shaoxing was the capital of the State of Yue during the Spring and Autumn Period (770 BC-476 BC), Shaoxing Opera was also called Yue Opera, or Yueju. Of China's 348 opera genres, Shaoxing Opera is among the best known, for its vitality. The Shaoxing Opera movie, The Butterfly Lovers, shot in 1953, was the first color opera film produced after the People's Republic of China was founded in 1949. That movie had a far-reaching impact on the development of China's operas.

Mao, a State-level inheritor of Shaoxing Opera, has dedicated her life to pursuing her dream — displaying the unique charm of the opera. She has won (three times) the Plum Blossom Prize, the top prize for China's operas. She was once the director of Zhejiang Xiaobaihua Yue Opera Troupe. Now, she is art director of Baiyue Cultural Creativity Co., Ltd. The troupe and the company are both in Hangzhou.

Shangguan, Mao's first "virtual apprentice," is a perfect Shaoxing Opera "actress." Assisted by high technology, Shangguan, who will always stay young and beautiful, can deliver both a visual and audio "feast" during her performances. Mao advised Tencent's developers as they designed Shangguan's image. To help viewers better understand the unique charm of the traditional opera, Mao not only provided the voice for her animated apprentice, but she also used motion-capture technology, by which her graceful movements were digitally recorded, so Shangguan could move — simultaneously — the way Mao moved.

"It was a new experience for me ... Through Shangguan, a product of modern science and technology, integrated with fashionable elements, we have done our best to promote traditional Chinese culture, and explored possibilities for the traditional art to become a more powerful cultural IP (intellectual property) in the new era," Mao has been quoted as saying. She hopes Shangguan will cause more young Chinese to "fall in love" with Shaoxing Opera.

Zhejiang Xiaobaihua Yue Opera Troupe was established in 1984. Since then, Mao has captivated viewers with her wonderful performances. As a result, Xiaobaihua entered the golden age for development. "I believe Shaoxing Opera, which flourished in Shanghai during the 1930s, was 'born to be modern'," says Mao. She suggests greater efforts should be made to revitalize the traditional art form.

Mao hopes Butterfly Theater will become "the city's cultural living room," through which people from around the world will become fascinated with China's unique stage art. "I hope, in the near future, the theater will become a must-see destination for visitors to Hangzhou, just like tourists (from various countries) go to watch plays in London's West End or Tokyo Takarazuka Theater, and/or watch musicals on Broadway," says Mao.

Photos Supplied by Baiyue Cultural Creativity Co., Ltd.

(Women of China English Monthly January 2022 issue)