Bulletin No. 2, 2011

8   Chinese University Bulletin No. 2, 2011 Sowing Seed in Chinese Opera B oth Kunqu and Cantonese opera have made UNESCO’s list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. These two opera forms are distinct yet closely related. Prof. Hua Wei , director of the Research Centre for Ming- Qing Studies, is an expert on Chinese opera. Supported by the Knowledge Transfer Project Fund, she launched the Kunqu and Cantonese Opera Education and Promotion Projec t last year. By bringing together scholars and performers from Hong Kong and mainland China, the project aims at promoting Kunqu and Cantonese opera to the public and local secondary students, and kindling their interest in traditional Chinese culture. The project began in February 2010 and ended in October 2011. It features a demo tour to 11 schools, where about 2,800 students and teachers were given Kunqu and Cantonese opera demonstrations and talks. Kunqu opera appreciation sessions by the Shanghai Kunqu Opera Troupe have also been organized at four local universities, and a seminar held at the The University’s Third Mission