NEW YORK, Aug. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — On the afternoon of August 4 local time, a pop-up performance of the original youth Kunqu production Age of Splendour took place at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, bringing both classic and contemporary Kunqu repertoire to a diverse international audience and showcasing the timeless artistry of traditional Chinese opera.
The event was co-hosted by the Zhejiang Provincial Department of Culture, Radio, Television and Tourism and the United Nations Staff Recreation Council (UNSRC) Chinese Book Club, with performances delivered by the Zhejiang Jingkun Art Center.
Age of Splendour features a cast of young performers from the Zhejiang Jingkun Art Center. Drawing on historical sources, the production employs Kunqu singing, stylized movement, and stagecraft to portray Princess Taiping, Shangguan Wan’er, and other historical figures, bringing to life the intellect, ambition, and spirit of women in the Tang Dynasty.
Interspersed throughout the program were two classic Kunqu excerpts: Night Flight, a martial-arts showcase known for its vigorous, heroic style, and Fifteen Strings of Cash: Trouble from a Rat, a comedic piece featuring an engaging clown-role performance that brings a cast of colorful everyday characters to life. The pairing of classic highlights with an original work offered a vivid cross-section of Kunqu’s diverse role types and performance traditions.
Among those in attendance were Xu Haoliang, UN Under-Secretary-General and Associate Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme, along with diplomats and officials from various permanent missions and international agencies. The performance received enthusiastic acclaim from the audience.
Traveling from Zhejiang Province to the United Nations Headquarters in New York, this pop-up performance gave audiences from a wide range of national and cultural backgrounds an opportunity to experience Chinese opera up close, demonstrating the continuing vitality of traditional Chinese art on the contemporary stage.
Earlier the same afternoon, the Zhejiang Jingkun Art Center also staged Kunqu pop-up performances at iconic New York City landmarks, including Times Square and Grand Central Terminal.
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SOURCE Zhejiang Provincial Department of Culture, Radio, Television and Tourism
