当“洋学生”遇见老戏曲：瑞昌采茶戏让国际学生爱上中国非遗

Foreign Students Meet Traditional Opera: Ruichang Tea Picking Opera Wins International Hearts

JIUJIANG, China – May 8, 2026 – The Faculty of International Studies of Jiujiang University, in partnership with the Jiujiang Municipal Bureau of Culture, Radio, Television and Tourism and the Jiujiang Municipal Research (Intangible Cultural Heritage) Center, hosted a distinctive "Opera Classroom – Ruichang Tea Picking Opera" showcase this afternoon. The event, held in Classroom 4 of the Jingzhi Building, brought together 150 faculty members and students, with international students taking center stage to experience the charm of this traditional Chinese opera form.

Ms. Zhu Xiaojing, Deputy Dean of the Faculty of International Studies, presided over the event. Ms. Wang Chaying, the municipal-level inheritor of Ruichang Tea Picking Opera, delivered an engaging and accessible introduction to the art form, covering its history, costumes and makeup, performance techniques, and efforts toward innovative preservation. She then invited students on stage to learn traditional gestures such as the "orchid palm," "orchid finger," and "sword finger," as well as the "cloud step" and water sleeve movements. International students eagerly joined the hands-on session, contributing to a warm and culturally vibrant atmosphere.

Following the instructional segment, Ms. Wang Chaying and Ms. Cai Yun performed an excerpt from the classic Tea Picking Opera Eighteen Farewells. Their melodious singing and graceful movements drew enthusiastic applause from the audience. Subsequently, two international students from Pakistan—Muhammad Saad Yaqoob and Huma Sultan—were invited on stage to try on Tea Picking Opera costumes. Ms. Sultan wore opera makeup and attire, transforming into a lively and charming young lady. Mr. Yaqoob, in a creative twist, cross-dressed as a woman to experience the costume of The Drunken Concubine, eliciting laughter and warm applause from the crowd.

Mr. Muhammad Saad Yaqoob shared his excitement: "This was a completely new experience for me. I hope next time I can play a male role. I truly feel the charm of Ruichang Tea Picking Opera as an intangible cultural heritage and have fallen even more in love with Chinese culture."

Ms. Huma Sultan added: "I had only seen Tea Picking Opera on television before. Now that I have experienced it myself, I can say this costume is really beautiful."

The "Opera Classroom" activity provided international students with a rare, close-up encounter with Ruichang Tea Picking Opera, a local intangible cultural heritage art form. It also furthered their interest in and appreciation for traditional Chinese culture, marking a vibrant addition to the international cultural exchange initiatives at Jiujiang University.