Hong Kong Metropolitan University (HKMU) is pleased to announce the grand opening of the Ina Ho Cantonese Opera Research Centre (the Centre) on 21 March. The Centre has embarked on a series of initiatives, including Cantonese opera libretto and excerpt translations, online course and appreciation, and exquisite performances, with the mission of promoting traditional Chinese culture and Cantonese opera, and introducing Chinese operatic art to local and international audiences. The first translated libretto is expected to be released in mid- to late-2024.
At the opening ceremony, HKMU President Prof. Paul Lam Kwan-sing thanked Dr Ina Ho Chan Un-chan for her support, which made it possible for the University to launch the Centre on the occasion of its 35th anniversary. He emphasised that he looked forward to the Centre becoming an important base for research on, and promotion of, Cantonese opera culture, enabling more people to appreciate the profundity of Chinese culture. “As Hong Kong has been developing into an international cultural centre where East meets West, HKMU welcomes and is ready to complement related strategies to promote Cantonese opera and other Chinese cultural treasures to a wider audience,” he said.
Dr Kelly Chan Kar-yue, Centre Director and Associate Professor in the School of Arts and Social Sciences, pointed out that the Centre encompasses both “research” and “art”. The Centre focuses primarily on research, covering areas such as Cantonese opera singing and transmission, and libretto appreciation, with a special emphasis on English translations of libretti and excerpts. “The Centre is embarking on the translation of a number of masterpieces, including Goddess of the Luo River, A Buddhist Recluse for Fourteen Years, The Reunion by a White Hare and Forty Years of Cherished Love,” she said. “We plan to promote the development of traditional Chinese opera in non-Chinese speaking communities by translating the libretti into foreign languages.”
The Centre also intends to broaden the public's exposure to traditional Chinese opera through various multi-media channels. An online General Education course, titled “Introduction to Cantonese Opera Art and Skills”, will be offered to HKMU students and the general public in spring 2025. In addition, a newly produced “Cantonese Opera Culture Series”, tentatively comprising five episodes, is set to premiere on TVB Pearl's “Knowledge for All” programme in the first half of 2025.
Located on the HKMU Jockey Club Campus, the Centre showcases a wide range of exhibits that reflect the rich heritage and history of Cantonese opera. The collection includes Cantonese opera costumes and headdresses, musical instruments, vinyl records, postbills, and clay print libretti. A number of these invaluable items have been kindly loaned or donated by good friends from the Cantonese opera community and various sectors. During the period of the Centre's opening, the costumes of Prince Consort Chow Sai-hin and Princess Cheung-ping from the scene “Fragrant Death” from The Flower Princess will be specially exhibited, along with the phoenix coronet and headdresses worn by the renowned Cantonese opera actress Chan Ho-kau in her past performances.
Another notable exhibit is a 1988 cheque personally signed by famed actress Fung Wong-lui, symbolising her deep friendship with media veteran Eric Yeung Chun-yiu. Instead of cashing the cheque, Eric Yeung treasured it as a keepsake. This decision has ensured the cheque's preservation, and it is now on special display at the Centre.
To celebrate HKMU's 35th anniversary, the Centre has planned a series of exceptional performances this year, including the “Connect U-r Voices in Cantonese Opera: Joint-university Cantonese Opera Performance” in May and the “HKMU 35th Anniversary Cantonese Opera Concert” later in the year. In addition, a series of seminars, academic discussions and professional demonstrations are being organised to foster interest in, and understanding of, Cantonese opera among diverse audiences, thereby contributing to the preservation and promotion of Cantonese opera culture.
