The Decline of Cantonese Opera in Singapore Essay

On the 9th of February 1942, three divisions of Japanese soldiers landed in Singapore, which was at the time a major British military base and presence in the Pacific. Six days later, over 90 000 British, Australian and Indian troops were forced to surrender. It had been believed that Singapore guaranteed the security of Australia during the war, consequently, the fall of Singapore opened Australia to invasion. The fall of Singapore was significant in causing relations between Australia and the United States to increase as in lieu of Britain’s inability to provide economic and military assistance when it was required most, the United States’ capability to provide what Britain could not was instrumental in strengthening bonds.

Scholars consider Mandarin popular songs as “the first kind of modern popular music developed in China” (Lau 106). These Mandarin pop songs were developed in Shanghai in the 1920s. In Shanghai, the “trendy Chinese in Shanghai mimicked the lifestyle of the city's foreigners, engaging in pastimes brought in from the West, and this was also

There is an old saying in China: "two thousand years of history to see the city of xi 'an, one thousand years of history to see Beijing, one hundred years of history to see Shanghai."As the epitome of modern Chinese history, Shanghai has grown into a modern international metropolis.In the rapid economic development, Shanghai has not abandoned the traditional Chinese characteristics of the Shanghai culture, but instead has integrated the traditional folk customs and urban customs perfect.The bustling Shanghai is full of its unique cultural charm, and its internationalization, modernization, and time-style labels are also attracting more and more people.

It was because of China’s desire to make Beijing look more modernized and beautiful that hutongs were demolished and the community feeling was lost. As Zhang stated, “a lot of basic neighborhood functions are being sacrificed” (Meyer 104). In the education system, the Olympics played a huge role and it is explain when the students count down the date, they read books talking about the Olympics, the chants and anthems they recite, and the fuwa characters appearing throughout the book and even in the teacher’s clothing and hands. Their educational system was altered to think positively of the actions the Beijing government conducted for the preparation of the Olympics. Not only were the Hutongs destroyed by the Hand, but the people were in a way influenced to want to learn how to greet in English in order to greet foreigners who would arrive the grand event. Therefore, these aspects were very intriguing because throughout Meyer’s book, I learn of the Beijing’s history and the consequences of the 2008

Farewell My Concubine follows the lives of Diouzi Deiyi and Shitou Xiaolou as they perfect performing traditional Peking opera through cultural, political, and personal upheaval. The film covers decades of modern Chinese history while taking a focus on the cultural significance of Peking opera. Several themes are explored and depicted in Farewell My Concubine. Of those regarding the Peking opera, the persistent presence and preservation of the opera despite challenging conditions and the contrast between the wide acceptance of the opera as culturally important and the subpar treatment of the performers, are concepts that stand out throughout the film.

Yue’s text challenges traditional studies that tend to focus on colonial aspects and focus on more of a “socially, culturally, and politically based discussion.” Through this direction she explores how theatres, gardens, print shops, and refugee intellectuals influenced Shanghai to become the “Paris of the East.” One of her most important discussions is how influential the printing industry was on the society through producing the guidelines for primary education. This discussion exposes how various external factors could play roles in industries that may not be normally connected. This idea can also be tied

Willoughby,Heather. 2008. ‘Pansori Master Singers’, in Pansori ed. Lee, Yong-shik. Seoul: The National Centre for Korean Traditional Performing Arts, 71-96.

Is it unusual to see a different ethnicity play in a Chinese opera? Well, in the article “Oakland Teen is Star of Chinese Opera,” a 15-year-old named Tyler Thomson is black, who speaks basic Chinese (paragraph #2). With the joy of learning how to play instruments and singing Chinese songs, he has learned many songs, and many movements (paragraph #5). This article really makes you more open minded to others who wants to learn more about other cultures. It also shows how unique Tyler is.

Her first movie in Germany Song showed her sophistication to the European audiences. In the year 1928 New York Time’s Article titled “Berlin Praises Miss Wong: Her First Film Produced in Germany Acclaimed Premiere”, the journalist wrote that: “Credit is given to China for the success achieved in the Alhambra Theatre last night by Anna May Wong of Hollywood in ‘Song,’ the first picture she screened here under the management of Richard Eichberg, independent German producer. (New York Times, 1928)” They thought that having Wong in the film was a chance for development and a chance to enlarge the area by involving characters of Asian, when in that time, not so many Asians were in Europe. Besides, Wong was truly a wise woman. She spoke fluent German in her first talkie, “The Road to Dishonor”. The article claimed that “Four months ago she hardly knew a word of German. Today, they assure me, she speaks like a native. From the spluttering that goes on I feel certain this is true” (Shute, 1929). By doing everything herself, even the auditoriums, she finally bloomed her talents. Like a good horse finally find the right trainer, I regret her not having met these producer’s sooner. If so, she might start her global career much faster. Yet, what was most valuable to her was European filmmakers’ embrace of her identity, besides focusing more on

Mr. Lee had a vision for Singapore and no one was going to change that. As Kenny Roy’s article, “Lee Kuan Yew: The Real Tiger” mentions, “Mr. Lee’s first order of business after establishing his position in office was to introduce a five-year plan that concentrated on urban renewal and construction of new public housing. Education reforms and industrialization were also key areas in which he placed his importance – and eventually contributed to the success of Singapore and him being a forward thinking leader.”

The film, Farewell My Concubine, directed by Chen Kaige drew the attention of the western world onto Chinese Opera at the 1988 Cannes Film Festival by winning the Palme d’Or award that year. Farewell My Concubine is one of the most famous plays in Beijing Opera in which the loyalty of Yu Ji (Beauty Yu) is contested by the King of Chu when his state is defeated. The main character, Cheng Dieyi, mirrors both Mei Langfan and Yu Ji. Mei Langfan is considered the most representative artist in Beijing Opera because of his perfection as a female impersonator. Cheng Dieyi, much like Mei Langfan, is the most popular male dan(female role) at the time in the film. The most intriguing aspect of the film is the similarity between Yu Ji’s life and

The postcolonial period characterized the analysis of various gender roles as imposed in the overall theatrical convention regarding men who impersonated women in the Chinese films. In the film namely ‘’Farewell my Concubine,’’ gives a description of what initially started as something that meant well in artistic and cultural tradition of the east but was later turned into feminization of the genders in the society. Chen Kaige directed the movie in the year 1993. It is based on novel done by Lillian Lee. As such, the film follows the relationship that existed between two brothers and opera performers that acted on the stage. It also brings out the issue of how women were treated in the ancient Chinese cultures both socially and politically.

There were two major happenings that temporarily effected Singapore’s economy between 2001 and 2003—the worldwide electronics slump and the outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). Both times, growth bounced back, by world demand for electronics, pharmaceuticals, other manufactured goods, and financial services. The return was mostly contributed to by the economies of its major trading partners—the United States, the European Union, Japan, and China, as well as expanding emerging markets such as India (Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, 2010). The next

Dramatic arts became an essential and esteemed form of entertainment during the Song Dynasty. The Chinese theater ran the gamut of all possible kinds of play or composition. A testament to the Song’s work toward variety in entertainment “the drama made quite a feature of short farcical scenes, acrobatic turns and satirical

However, the development of Singapore’s society cannot be predicated on pure economics alone. Even though globalization has enabled Singapore to fare well in economic development, however, termed the perils of success, globalization has brought about undesirable