On October 24, 2025, the 7th Tang Xianzu International Theatre Exchange Month was officially launched in Fuzhou, Jiangxi Province. The event was co-hosted by the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC), the People's Government of Jiangxi Province, and the China Theatre Association. Wan Guangming, Vice Governor of Jiangxi Province; Ji Yongjun, Deputy Secretary-General of the CPAFFC; Wang Chunmei, Vice Secretary-General of the China Theatre Association; along with ambassadors from the UK, Malta, Thailand, and other countries, as well as domestic and foreign guests, totaling more than 1,000 people, attended the opening ceremony.
In his remarks, Deputy Secretary-General Ji Yongjun emphasized that the "Tang Xianzu & William Shakespeare Dialogue" not only bridges Eastern and Western stages, facilitates audience interaction, and fosters academic exchanges, but also serves as a broad platform that extends into numerous fields such as history, philosophy, and literature, holding profound social and cultural significance. The CPAFFC will continue to promote friendship through culture, using theatre as a medium to enhance mutual understanding and friendship among peoples worldwide, deepening practical cooperation in cultural, economic, and trade sectors, thus contributing to the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.
The opening ceremony held at the evening featured natural water landscapes as a backdrop and garden spaces as the stage. Through a thematic narrative titled "The Dream of Theatre", the event vividly illustrated the spiritual resonance between Tang Xianzu and William Shakespeare, transcending time and space. Performances included the Kunqu opera "Three Lifetimes in a Dream: The Peony Pavilion", the Yue opera "The Divine Damsel of Devastation", the Xuhe Gaoqiang opera "The Purple Hairpin", and the cross-border drama "The Tang Xianzu & William Shakespeare Encounter", offering a dramatic feast that beautifully combined Eastern and Western theatrical traditions for the guests.
The Tang Xianzu International Theatre Exchange Month is part of an initiative launched by the CPAFFC in partnership with the Jiangxi Provincial Government to implement President Xi Jinping's proposal during his 2015 visit to the UK to jointly commemorate Tang Xianzu and William Shakespeare. This year marks the seventh edition of the event, following six successful editions. The theme of this year's event is "Ten Years of Civilizational Mutual Learning: New Voices of the Peony Pavilion for the World to Hear". Over the course of the month-long event, several activities will take place, including the "Tang Xianzu & William Shakespeare Legacy: Youth Dialogue", a special performance of "Famous Chinese Opera Masterpieces", and the 6th Tang Xianzu Drama Competition, alongside performances of outstanding regional dramas.
