In 1956, the Zhejiang Kunqu Opera Troupe adapted the traditional play Dream of Two Bears into Fifteen Strings of Cash. The story centres on a mysterious murder case triggered by fifteen strings of copper coins, unfolding a battle of wits and intricate deductions. Departing from Kunqu’s traditional focus on young male and female leads, this production highlights the confrontation between a clever rogue and a shrewd magistrate, with chou (comic) and laosheng (old male) as key roles. Equally unmissable is the classic Kunqu comedy The Lioness Roars, which humorously depicts the marital battle of wits between the scholar Chen Jichang and his formidable wife Madam Liu. The programme will also feature five classic Kunqu excerpts, perfectly blending literary elegance with dynamic stagecraft.

15/8 (Fri) 7:30pm
Fifteen Strings of Cash

16/8 (Sat) 7:30pm
The Lioness Roars

17/8 (Sun) 2:30pm
Traditional Opera Excerpts The Celestial Place, Cancelling the Birthday Celebrations, Rendezvous at the Pavilion, Entrusting His Son, Fighting on the Water

Main Cast：Xiang Weidong, Hu Ping, Bao Chen, Zeng Jie, Tian Yang, Wang Hengtao


Extension Activities

18/5 (SUN) 2:30pm
Zhejiang Jingkun Art Center (Kun Opera Troupe)
Talks on the Art of Kunqu Opera
Appreciation of Fifteen Strings of Cash
Speaker: Cheung Lai-chun
AC2, Level 4, Administration Building, Hong Kong Cultural Centre
In Cantonese
Free admission. Limited seats available on a first-come, first-served basis. Online registration is required, please refer to Cultural Presentations Section website.

25/5 (SUN) 2:30pm
Zhejiang Jingkun Art Center (Kun Opera Troupe)
Talks on the Art of Kunqu Opera
Appreciation of Kneeling by the Pond from The Lioness Roars and Rendezvous at the Pavilion from Red Pear Blossom
Speaker: Cheung Lai-chun
AC2, Level 4, Administration Building, Hong Kong Cultural Centre
In Cantonese
Free admission. Limited seats available on a first-come, first-served basis. Online registration is required, please refer to Cultural Presentations Section website.

1/6 (SUN) 2:30pm
Zhejiang Jingkun Art Center (Kun Opera Troupe)
Talks on the Art of Kunqu Opera
Appreciation of Entrusting His Son from The Beauty Washing Silk by the River and Cancelling the Birthday Celebrations from The Pavilion of Chanting in the Wind
Speaker: Cheung Lai-chun
AC2, Level 4, Administration Building, Hong Kong Cultural Centre
In Cantonese
Free admission. Limited seats available on a first-come, first-served basis. Online registration is required, please refer to Cultural Presentations Section website.

14/8 (Thu) 2pm
Zhejiang Jingkun Art Center (Kun Opera Troupe)
The Crafting of Dan (Female) Roles in Kunqu
Master: Hu Ping
Moderator: Chan Chun-miu
AC2, Level 4, Administration Building, Hong Kong Cultural Centre
In Putonghua
Free admission. Limited seats available on a first-come, first-served basis. Online registration is required, please refer to Cultural Presentations Section website.

14/8 (Thu) 4pm
Zhejiang Jingkun Art Center (Kun Opera Troupe)
The Crafting of Sheng (Male) Roles in Kunqu
Master: Zeng Jie
Moderator: Chan Chun-miu
AC2, Level 4, Administration Building, Hong Kong Cultural Centre
In Putonghua
Free admission. Limited seats available on a first-come, first-served basis. Online registration is required, please refer to Cultural Presentations Section website.

14/8 (THU) 7:30pm
Zhejiang Jingkun Art Center (Kun Opera Troupe)
Meet-the-Artists: Six Generations of Kunqu Performers: The Sustaining Growth of the Zhejiang Kunqu Opera Troupe
Speakers: Gu Jiong, Bao Chen, Zeng Jie, Hu Ping, Tian Yang
Moderator: Chan Chun-miu
AC2, Level 4, Administration Building, Hong Kong Cultural Centre
In Putonghua and Cantonese
Free admission. Limited seats available on a first-come, first-served basis. Online registration is required, please refer to Cultural Presentations Section website.

18/8 (Mon) 5pm
Zhejiang Jingkun Art Center (Kun Opera Troupe)
Kunqu Classics as a Living Tradition
Speakers: Wu Xinyi, Wang Hengtao
Moderator: Cheung Lai-chun
Theatre, Block I, Jao Tsung-I Academy
In Putonghua
Coordinator: The Hong Kong Institute for Promotion of Chinese Culture and Jao Tsung-I Academy
Free admission. Limited seats available on a first-come, first-served basis. Online registration is required, please refer to Cultural Presentations Section website.