On October 27, a significant academic conference titled the “China Miao Opera Translation and International Communication Symposium and the 2024 Annual Meeting of the China Miao Opera Research Society” was held in Beijing. This event drew experts and scholars from various universities, research institutions, libraries, publishers, and social organizations across regions including Beijing, Shanxi, Sichuan, Tibet, Hong Kong, and Osaka, Japan.
The conference was co-hosted by the China Miao Opera Research Society and Beijing Foreign Studies University. During the opening session, the president of the society, Li Zhiyuan, reflected on the organization’s journey over the past 36 years, highlighting key academic activities and significant achievements. He pointed out that more than 30 types of Miao opera have been recognized as part of the national intangible cultural heritage, underscoring the undeniable importance of Miao opera as a vital component of China’s excellent traditional culture.
Following the opening ceremony, the “Miao Garden Elegance—Exhibition of Miao Opera Mask Art and Mask-Making Workshop” was inaugurated. The masks on display were primarily provided by Mr. Qin Fazhong, the director of the Anshun Miao Sculpture Cultural Museum and a council member of the China Miao Opera Research Society. He explained the criteria used for selecting the exhibited masks and shared insights into their meanings, craftsmanship, and the stories behind them.
The mask exhibition will remain open until early November. Additionally, a collaborative cultural performance by the Chizhou Miao Art Troupe from Anhui and the Beijing Foreign Studies University Art Troupe took place in the East Campus auditorium, which included interactive activities like a mask-carving workshop.
This year’s academic conference featured two keynote speeches and six sub-forums, where attendees engaged in in-depth discussions on various topics such as the innovative development and cross-cultural studies of Chinese Miao opera, the regional and diversity studies of Miao culture, historical and theoretical research on Miao culture, and the new media dissemination of Miao opera. Notably, three sessions were dedicated to young scholars, providing them with a platform for academic exchange and collaboration aimed at contributing their youthful insights and energy to the preservation, development, and promotion of Miao opera.
In total, the conference received 73 submitted papers, including 38 for the young scholar forum, with 83 scholars presenting their research and insights. An expert committee was formed to select the top ten papers for the inaugural “China Miao Opera Research Young Scholar Forum.”
