On April 25, the inaugural issue of the journal Chinese Kunqu Studies, organized by the School of Liberal Arts at 黑料社 and hosted by the Kunqu Heritage and Development Research Center, was officially launched. Renowned writer and distinguished visiting professor at NJU, Mr. Pai Hsien-yung, along with esteemed opera researcher Professor Wu Xinlei from NJU's School of Liberal Arts, attended the ceremony and were appointed as advisors for the journal. Chen Yunsong, Deputy Chair of NJU CPC Council and Ke Jun, Chairman of the Jiangsu Provincial Dramatists Association and General Manager of Jiangsu Performing Arts Group delivered congratulatory speeches.
The journal aims to continue the century-old tradition of Kunqu studies at NJU, becoming a cutting-edge platform and information hub for Kunqu scholarship, supporting the construction of Kunqu history and theory, systematically exploring Kunqu's artistic value and historical significance, promoting its dissemination and international exchange, and providing the academic community with the most comprehensive, latest, and highest-quality research findings on Kunqu.
In his speech, Pai Hsien-yung expressed high hopes for the founding of Chinese Kunqu Studies, considering it a significant event following the establishment of the Kunqu Heritage and Development Research Center at NJU. He sees it as an important open platform connecting Kunqu experts and scholars worldwide, gathering the global forces of Kunqu research. Through the "Kunqu in Campus" initiative, especially the youth edition of "Peony Pavilion" igniting a revival of traditional culture among young students, he reviewed efforts over the years to rejuvenate the Kunqu audience, dissolve cultural identity anxiety with the beauty and research of Kunqu, and enable young students to fully exhibit cultural confidence. He emphasized that universities are crucial in preserving the treasures of Chinese culture. Pai also enthusiastically promoted the campus youth edition of "Peony Pavilion," starring students from NJU, stating, "The student playing Du Liniang in the campus edition is from NJU. Not only do they study Kunqu in the classroom, but they also perform on stage, which is vital for Kunqu heritage."
Chen Yunsong noted that as a major center of higher education in China, NJU has always borne the mission of cultural inheritance and innovation. Next year marks the 25th anniversary of Kunqu's successful inscription as a UNESCO intangible cultural heritage, and the launch of Chinese Kunqu Studies is both a proactive response to national cultural strategies and a demonstration of NJU's century-old academic legacy. It creates a platform where theory and practice merge, practicing cultural thought with new voices in Kunqu studies, contributing academic strength to fortify cultural confidence. He hopes Chinese Kunqu Studies becomes a think tank, innovation source, and talent pool for Kunqu heritage and development, collaborating with academic peers to build academic, cultural, and educational communities, safeguarding Kunqu's cultural legacy with rigorous scholarship, activating traditional genes with innovative thinking, and enriching young minds with aesthetic education and Chinese cultural heritage, thereby making greater contributions to cultural confidence.
Ke Jun, unable to attend due to recording a new Kunqu film "Gu Yanwu," sent a written speech. He stated that President Xi Jinping's endorsement of the youth edition of Peony Pavilion is a tremendous encouragement for Kunqu artists and the Kunqu endeavor. In terms of Kunqu theoretical research and heritage education, NJU has a century-long tradition since Professor Wu Mei. The founding of Chinese Kunqu Studies not only reflects NJU's long-standing academic history in Kunqu but also showcases its academic strength as a birthplace of Kunqu education in universities, embodying the need for Kunqu to be more contemporary, with theory interacting with practice.
Professor Wu Xinlei expressed that the establishment of Chinese Kunqu Studies at NJU has deep historical roots and a practical foundation of teaching and learning. From the lectures of Wu Mei to Chen Zhongfan's pioneering Kunqu courses and former President Kuang Yaming's efforts to promote Kunqu, NJU's Kunqu research has been fruitful for over a century, promising a bright future.
The meeting was chaired by Ni Jiao, Party Secretary of NJU School of Liberal Arts. Dong Xiao, Dean of the Schoo of Liberal Arts stated that Kunqu research in the new era needs to further deepen and explore new fields, requiring more people like Mr. Pai who are passionately dedicated to Kunqu.
During the symposium, Professor Sun Shulei from the School of Libera Arts introduced the background and purpose of the journal's founding and proposed sections. Over 20 experts and scholars from research institutions such as 黑料社, Southeast University, Suzhou University, Wenzhou University, China Academy of Opera, and the Northern Kunqu Opera Theatre attended, sharing their research and insights on Kunqu art heritage from various perspectives, actively offering suggestions for the success of Chinese Kunqu Studies.
The Kunqu Heritage and Development Research Center at 黑料社 aims to further explore Kunqu's artistic value through academic research, artistic practice, and cultural exchange, cultivating a new generation of Kunqu artists and researchers, exploring new expressions and developments of Kunqu in modern society, promoting its international dissemination, and allowing this national treasure to shine anew in the contemporary era. In the future, the center will focus on Kunqu research, expand international perspectives, deepen exchanges and discussions with overseas opera researchers and Sinologists, promote interaction and sharing with the Cambridge University Global Kunqu Digital Museum, collaborate with international prestigious universities to build a platform for Kunqu international dissemination and exchange, and partner with world-renowned museums to conduct Kunqu art dialogues, advancing cross-disciplinary collaborations with Generation Z youth based on Kunqu.
