At 6 o'clock in the evening, in a remote village in Nakhon Sawan Province, where there are many ethnic Chinese in Thailand, the lights are shining, gongs and drums begin, and the Chinese Teochew opera "Luo Shen" is being staged on a makeshift stage.

The 54-year-old Xu Qingan plays Cao Cao in "Luo Shen". As a veteran actor of Thailand's "Blue Sac Yulou Chun" Teochew Opera Troupe, this veteran actor from Chaozhou, Guangdong sighed and said in the face of the few audiences. : "It's a world apart."

Teochew opera actor Xu Qing An (right) performs on stage in Nakhon Sawan, Thailand

Recalling the scene when he first came to Thailand to perform in the 1990s, Xu Qingan said that at that time there were more than 100 Teochew opera troupes, and there were often thousands of spectators for performances, but now there are only more than 30 Teochew opera troupes left, and the audience is sometimes smaller than the actors. .

The 75-year-old Yierkun, originally from Guangdong, was one of the few spectators in the audience in a red cheongsam.

Different from Yi Er Kun, the 9-year-old Thai teenager Suphakong Nirong Rang can't understand the Teochew dialect, but he was fascinated by the audience. As a fan of Teochew opera troupe, he said: "The actors on stage are very beautiful, like Angel."

Teochew opera actors perform on stage in Nakhon Sawan, Thailand

More than 80 years ago, the "Blue Nang Yu Lou Chun" Teochew Opera Troupe crossed the ocean and came to Thailand. As a leader in the Teochew opera troupe in Thailand, the troupe has been invited to perform for the Thai royal family and has also performed in Hainan, China.

Xu Qingan said: "The 'green sack' in the troupe's name refers to the actors' luggage." Today, a truck can be filled with all the troupe's belongings, from the permanent stage in Bangkok to the troupe that travels everywhere. "Qing Nang Yu Lou Chun "The changes also reflect the dilemma faced by Teochew opera in Thailand.

A Teochew opera actor performs fire breathing in Nakhon Sawan, Thailand

The audience for Teochew opera is mostly elderly Thai Chinese, and the audience for this ancient theatrical art has gradually diminished over time. There are only about 30 Teochew opera troupes left in Thailand today.

"The new crown epidemic has made the troupe worse. It used to have an average of 300 performances per year, but now it has less than 100 performances," said Wu Guide, vice chairman of the Thai Teochew Opera Association and head of the "Blue Sac Yulou Chun" Teochew Opera Troupe. Teochew opera is not only an ancient opera originating from China The genre of opera is also the spiritual link that connects thousands of Thai Chinese. As long as I have a breath, I will insist on carrying forward Teochew opera.

The loss of actors also restricts the development of Teochew opera in Thailand.

For 66-year-old third-generation Chinese-American Chen Suluan, this is her last year on stage. As the eldest actor in the troupe, she was sent to the troupe by her parents to study art at the age of 8 because of her poor family. The troupe gave her parents a sum of money to sign an eight-year contract.

Chen Suluan still wears a necklace with photos of her parents. She said that she doesn't hate her parents because they found her a career she loves.

A Teochew opera musician plays a musical instrument in Nakhon Sawan, Thailand

The century-old Teochew opera in Thailand will disappear into the historical ring in the future, or it will take on a new brilliance. This is a proposition left to this generation of Teochew opera artists, and the 81-year-old founder of the Thai-Chinese Drama Art Society, Zhuang Meilong, tried to give his answer.

The Thai-Chinese Drama Art Society, established more than 40 years ago, is working hard to promote the localization of Teochew opera. "On the one hand, we are trying to integrate Thai into Teochew opera performances to make it easier for more Thai audiences to accept it. On the other hand, we plan to establish a Chinese opera school in Bangkok to cultivate professional talents including Teochew opera actors." Chuang Meilong said that even though the entire industry is dying, he Also determined to preserve this art for future generations.

At midnight, the lights on the stage went out, Xu Qingan took off his costume and got into the two-square-meter tent. A few days later, he will follow the troupe to the next performance location, and continue his "theater life" on this mobile stage.Editor/Ma Xue