The Symposium on the Translation and International Communication of Chinese Nuo Opera and the 2024 Annual Conference of the China Nuo Opera Research Institute were held in Beijing from Oct. 26-27. The two-part event was hosted by the China Nuo Opera Research Institute and Beijing Foreign Studies University (BFSU) and was organized by the School of International Journalism and Communication and the School of Art and Research, BFSU. The gathering aimed to be a platform for in-depth conversation on the protection, inheritance and worldwide promotion of the opera form.

Participants of the Symposium on the Translation and International Communication of Chinese Nuo Opera pose for a group photo at Beijing Foreign Studies University in Beijing, Oct. 26, 2024. [Photo courtesy of BFSU]

The symposium featured two keynote speeches and six panels. Experts and scholars from around China and Osaka, Japan engaged in discussions on topics such as the innovative development and cross-cultural research of Chinese Nuo Opera, historical and theoretical research on Chinese Nuo culture and new media dissemination of Chinese Nuo Opera. Three youth forums were also held, giving a platform for young scholars to share their ideas and youthful insights related to the inheritance, development and dissemination of Chinese Nuo Opera.

Nuo Opera is a traditional form of folk drama where practitioners wear masks and perform dances intended to drive away ghosts and disease.

The symposium received 73 paper submissions, including 38 for the youth forums, with 83 scholars presenting academic reports and engaging in discussions. The symposium also assembled an expert committee to select the top ten papers for the inaugural Chinese Nuo Opera Research Youth Forum.

Officials and guests launch a Nuo Opera mask exhibition at Beijing Foreign Studies University in Beijing, Oct. 26, 2024. [Photo courtesy of BFSU]

Ning Qiang, dean of BFSU's School of Art and Research, said in his speech that promoting the translation and international communication of Nuo Opera not only helps increase the international community's awareness and appreciation of Chinese traditional culture but also enhances China's international competitiveness.

"Our school will take this conference as an opportunity to further promote the translation and international communication of Nuo Opera, allowing more people to understand and appreciate this intangible cultural heritage and contribute anew to the promotion of excellent traditional Chinese culture and the diversity of world cultures," he said.

Ning's sentiments were echoed by other speakers at the two-day event, with professor Yuan Jun, director of the Academic Committee at BFSU, stating his advocacy for the academic community to invest more in the development and preservation of Nuo Opera, such as more "academic support for international communication" and engaging in more Nuo Opera research. 

Li Zhiyuan, president of the China Nuo Opera Research Institute, mentioned that more than 30 types of Nuo Opera have been listed in the national intangible cultural heritage inventory, underscoring the unquestionable status of Nuo Opera as an essential component of traditional Chinese culture. Li believes that Nuo Opera, characterized by its national distinctiveness, can become more globally recognized through both the research institute's and BFSU's efforts.

A corner of the Nuo Opera mask exhibition at Beijing Foreign Studies University in Beijing, Oct. 26, 2024. [Photo courtesy of BFSU]

After the opening ceremony, all participants attended an unveiling for a Nuo Opera mask exhibition and mask-making workshop. The masks displayed as part of the exhibition were primarily provided by Qin Fazhong, director of the Guizhou Anshun Nuo Carving Culture Museum and council member of the China Nuo Opera Research Institute. Qin explained the selection rationale for the masks on display and guided visitors through the exhibition, sharing stories and information behind the masks. The exhibition will continue until early November.

A scene from the Nuo Opera performance that took place during the two-day event at Beijing Foreign Studies University in Beijing, Oct. 27, 2024. [Photo courtesy of BFSU]

On Oct. 27, the Chizhou Nuo Opera Art Troupe from Anhui province joined the Art Troupe of BFSU for a cultural performance along with interactive sessions such as a Nuo mask carving workshop.