The Sichuan Opera Liu Guangdi: A Man of Integrity, produced by the Zigong Sichuan Opera Art Center, was staged at Chengdu City Concert Hall in Chengdu on August 26. As part of the 3rd Sichuan Opera Showcase, the distinctive vocal techniques of gaoqiang and bangqiang brought to life Liu Guangdi, one of the "Six Martyrs of the 1898 Reform Movement."
The showcase opened this August and will run until early 2026. A total of 15 full-length operas and 13 opera highlights have been selected for concentrated performances.
Liu Guangdi: A Man of Integrity began production earlier this year. Running 110 minutes, it is set against the backdrop of the late Qing dynasty after China's defeat in the War of 1894 (also known as the First Sino-Japanese War). On stage, scenes of military failure, territorial concessions and people's suffering highlighted the turbulent era, while depicting Liu Guangdi, Tan Sitong and other reformists sacrificing themselves for the nation's future. Nearly a thousand audience members experienced the scenes of this dramatized reformist movement.
Liu Kaikui, a national first-class actor who plays Liu Guangdi, noted that he first performed the role two decades ago. "Today, I understand him more deeply. He embodies both the Confucian scholar's sense of duty and sacrifice, and a profound attachment to his homeland and people, along with a softer, more personal side," he said.
Previously, the Zigong Sichuan Opera Art Center's modern Sichuan Opera, Chasing the Light won second prize at the 2nd Sichuan Opera Showcase, underscoring the troupe's strength in this art form.
