Beijing Opera performance to make Tunisian debut

TUNIS - The Beijing Opera will be performed for the first time in Tunisia, official TAP press agency reported on Friday.

The prestigious opera will present a spectacle on July 14 on the scene of the Carthage Roman Theatre as part of the 49th edition of the Carthage International Festival. It is also expected to feature in other Tunisian summer festivals.

The opera, created in the late 18th century, is a form of traditional Chinese theater which combines music, vocal performances, mime, dance and acrobatics.

The Beijing opera, which is listed as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity by UNESCO, is regarded as one of China's cultural treasures and its plays are largely based on Chinese history and folklore.

Some of its popular stories, such as the Drunken Concubine, the Story of the white snake and Fifteen strings of copper, have been adapted by a number of foreign troupes and musical shows throughout the world.

It has performed on some of the world's major scenes in the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Japan, Thailand, Peru, Mexico, Australia and many other countries.