A patriotic opera reflecting Zigong city’s prolonged well salt production history won a standing ovation when put on stage in Beijing on March 14, as one of the 15 works selected by the Culture Ministry as China’s outstanding national operas.

 

Vice culture minister, Dong Wei, enjoyed the performance that took more than two hours to complete at the Beijing Tianqiao Performing Arts Center, along with mayor and deputy mayor of Zigong, He Shuping and Chen Zhangming, as well as nearly 1,000 residents in the capital city of China.

 

Located in the southern parts of Sichuan, Zigong has a long history of well salt production that dates back to Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220) and has brought lasting prosperity to the area ever since.

 

The playYan Shen (Salt God) depicts the patriotic thoughts and actions of the hardworking workers in Zigong’s well salt industry in a background set at the 1930s, a tumultuous time when China was suffering from Japanese invaders’ aggressions.

 

As part of the stage setting, the traditional way of producing well salt is reproduced by placing high-rising wooden shelves for digging wells and extracting brines. Other local characters are also showed in the storyline, music and stage setting, including the decorative lanterns, a cultural symbol of Zigong that has been displayed worldwide since 1980s.

 

The script was written by Liao Shixiang, first class screenwriter in China. Han Wanzhai, music professor at Sichuan Normal University, composed the music which combines western symphonic music and traditional Chinese music. More than 100 performers took part in the performance with first class actress Chen Zhengping playing the leading female role.