Suichang girl shines as global Du Liniang

Fan Yuqi from Suichang county in Lishui, Zhejiang province. [Photo/Tide News]

Fan Yuqi, a 12‑year‑old girl from Suichang county in Lishui, Zhejiang province, was honored as a global version of Du Liniang at the Award Ceremony for the 2026 Global 100 Du Liniang Promotion held during the Edinburgh Art Festival.

The event marked the 25th anniversary of Kunqu Opera's inscription on UNESCO's intangible cultural heritage list, with Fan emerging as one of the most prominent young performers on stage.

Suichang is where Tang Xianzu served as magistrate for five years and wrote the masterpiece The Peony Pavilion. Four centuries later, the county has not only brought the classic back to life but also used it as a bridge to connect with the international theatre community.

The 100 Du Liniang project spans seven countries, including the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Germany, Japan, and Singapore, creating a global Kunqu Opera network across three continents.

In recent years, Suichang has created a number of immersive experiences at the Suichang Tang Xianzu Memorial Hall, including regular immersive performances, which have totaled over 120 shows.

Suichang also runs Kunqu clubs and school‑based training programs to nurture young enthusiasts. From ancient stages to community workshops, Kunqu has become a tangible part of daily life in Suichang.

Cheng Linfei, curator of the Suichang Tang Xianzu Memorial Hall, said that this lightweight model of community interaction and distributed collaboration at home and abroad provides a replicable approach to bringing traditional opera to international audiences.