Repackaging the Traditional to Compete with the Modern

LAST January a traditional Chinese theatrical costume show titled Dayu Huashang (Feathered Dress and Gorgeous Skirt) was staged in Jinan, the provincial capital of Shandong. Now it’s set to venture further a-field: the show’s producers have signed up to bring their recently forged cultural brand to the US, Canada, Germany, France and Singapore. Cultural brands boost a locality’s image, and they’re profitable, too. Many of China’s provinces and autonomous regions have therefore decided to develop their own unique cultural brands, and promote them abroad. For instance, Yunnan Province has staged Dynamic Yunnan (a local amateur performance), and Sounds of Nature in Yunling (an interpretation of a large-scale original folk performance); Henan Province has put on Shaolin in the Wind (a romantic tragedy performed by the well-known Shaolin monks); and Guizhou Province has presented Wind of Colorful Guizhou (a large-scale ethnic song-and-dance performance). Each introduces to international audiences the characteristics of local folk customs and cultures.