arts & culture 119
atEr this month a
colourful and thought-
provoking exhibition
charting the history of Royal
Forbidden
Court opera during the Qing
Dynasty opens at The Macau
Museum of Art.
The event, which runs from
December 13 until March 3 next
year is entitled “The Dragon’s treasures
Stage: Chinese Opera Artifacts
from the Palace Museum’’ and is
by Jack Regan
the culmination of co-operation
between the Macau Museum of
There’s a rare chance to see some
Art and the Palace Museum.
It features nearly 200 daz-
stunning artifacts from the Qing
zling treasures from the Palace
Museum in Beijing’s Forbidden
Dynasty Royal Court as an exhibition
City ranging from costumes and
musical instruments to paintings
takes A journey througH the history
and pottery.
of Chinese Opera during the period,
The organisers, led by the
Civic and Muncipal affairs Bu-
through relics from the Forbidden City
reau, the Museum of Art, Palace
Museum, the Macau Foundation
and the Macau Government Tour-
ist Office say the exhibition takes
visitors on a journey through the
historic role opera played in the
Imperial Court.
crucial role
Chinese opera played a
cruical role in the daily life of
the imperial family, not only for
entertainmnet purposes but also
as a means to win courtiers and
impress diplomats and ambassa-
dors on special occassions.
Reaching it’s peak in the
Qing Dynasty period when the
Manchus accepted the thoughts
of Confucious soon after “sub-
duing’’ the Middle Kingdom,
traditional Chinese entertainment
was predominant in the imperial
palace.
The Qing Dynasty was the
first to incorporate opera into
formal celebrations in the royal
court, such as Chinese New Year,
the first full moon and the Em-
peror’s birthday.
Picture perfect
Not only did the royal court
take expand the use of opera, the
Qing Dynasty emperor set up a
december 2008
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