On September 22, we welcomed the GuoGuang Opera Company to Tunghai University, inviting our students to step into the enchanting world of traditional Chinese opera. In just two hours, participants progressed from observation and imitation to hands-on practice, discovering the most delicate yet powerful aspect of the stage — the body language of Chinese opera.
The workshop began with Ms. Chu introducing basic gestures and postures. She then guided everyone through the distinct walking styles of male and female characters: the male role walks with steadiness and strength, while the female role moves with grace and lightness. Just a few steps were enough to instantly reveal a character’s personality.
Even more exciting, GuoGuang’s performers demonstrated many everyday actions commonly seen in performances: riding a horse, opening a door, doing embroidery. On stage, these seemingly ordinary deeds are delivered using highly symbolic physical expressions. Students practiced with bursts of laughter, amazed by how scenes could be vividly conveyed even without props.
This event was more than a transfer of skills — it was an experience: an experience of how the body becomes language, and how imagination takes concrete form upon the stage. Many students shared that through this workshop, they truly understood for the first time that “the body itself is a way of storytelling” — a walk, a turn, a wave can carry a character’s emotions and narrative.
We sincerely thank Ms. Chu and the GuoGuang Opera Company for their wonderfully inspiring guidance, and we also thank every passionate participant — it was your enthusiasm that filled the venue with laughter and delightful surprises.
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