Wuhan Chuju Opera Theater has launched a serial event themed on 2025 Cultural and Natural Heritage Day and “Chuju Opera Tour in Universities”. It had a leg at the Jiangda Hall of the Kechuang Building on the afternoon of June 12. Over 400 teachers and students appreciated a newly adapted Chuju opera performance, Yang Naiwu. Among the audience were Party Secretary of JHU Qin Daoming, Vice President Liu Jiyan, and heads of departments,
The purpose of the event is to enhance students’ awareness of protecting intangible cultural heritage and promoting China’s outstanding traditional culture and inheritance. It allows university faculty and students to experience the charm of Chuju opera up close and strengthens cultural confidence.
The revised Chuju opera Yang Naiwu is starred by Yu Weigang, a national Class-A actor and laureate of the Plum Blossom Award. The production was on the repertoire of the 18th China Drama Festival and thence selected as one of the top ten traditional opera adaptation cases by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism; it has also received provincial-level funding for high-quality artistic creations, and was included in Hubei province’s key support program for stage art excellence.
The performance hall was packed to capacity. Yu Weigang and outstanding actors from Wuhan Chuju Opera Theater vividly brought this extraordinary late Qing Dynasty law case to life through extensive and exquisite singing passages, along with highly demanding and intensive technical displays. With its majestic accompaniment, life-like artistic portrayal, and immersive audiovisual experience, the performance was a spectacular feast for the senses of the audience.
Two students, Ai Junhao and Li Gaojie, shared their thoughts after the performance: “The show not only allowed me to experience the charm of traditional opera up close but also gave me spiritual strength with its brilliant artistic presentation.” “Chuju opera Yang Naiwu is more than just a regional drama—it’s a lively ideological lesson. Through art, it reminds us that while truth may come late, justice will never be absent.”
Other students also praised the heart-gripping effect of the performance. Beyond showcasing the unique appeal of Chuju opera at close range, the contemporary interpretation of a classic masterpiece built a cultural bridge between traditional theater and young scholars. The event infused fresh artistic vitality into the aesthetic education of university, demonstrating the vibrant resurgence of intangible cultural heritage in modern campus life.
By ：Yi Jun, Chen Minying, Liu Jin