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General education has played an important role in The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK)’s curriculum since its founding.  The general education course aims to enhance students’ understanding about arts and culture and to widen their horizons.  Lee Woo Sing College has run a course on “Kunqu Opera” (京崑) in recent years.  It is the first tertiary institution to run “Kungqu Opera” courses with credit units.  The course covers the basic theories about “Kunqu” and gives students opportunities to learn the skills and perform on the stage.  

Lee Woo Sing College sponsor Dr Lee Woo Sing, and Dr Koo Ti Hua, a College Committee of Overseers member and a student of Kunqu master Yu Zhenfei, aspire to promote a wider renaissance and international appreciation of “Kunqu Opera”.  In May 2015, they established the Kunqu Opera Promotion Centre to enhance the promotion of the Chinese opera culture in Hong Kong. The outline of the “Kunqu Opera” course is prepared by Dr Koo and “Kunqu” masters from Shanghai Theatre Academy and other Chinese academies and some first class national actors are invited to provide guidance to the students. 

As early as in 4 Oct 2012, Lee Woo Sing College hosted a ceremony to celebrate the opening of the College and the introduction of Kunqu to campus.  Before the introduction of the general education course on “Kunqu Opera”, a summer course on “Kunqu Opera” was run in 2014.  The students learn about the performing format of “Kunqu Opera”, involving singing, speaking, dance-acting and mouth, hands, eyes, body and steps.  The students are given opportunities to perform on the stage. 

Although the course is run by Lee Woo Sing College, all undergraduate students are welcome to take the course.  CUHK postgraduate students, alumni and any interested parties can also sit-in the class. This small-classroom teaching has attracted a lot of people to sit-in. Positive comments from students are received.  The course has run for 3 seminars and some students have attended all of them. 

In order to further promote “Kunqu Opera”, and to provide an opportunity for the students to perform, the Kunqu Opera Promotion Centre together with Lee Woo Sing College of CUHK, the Chinese Culture Centre of the City University of Hong Kong, and the Culture Promotion Committee of The Polytechnic University, co-organize roving Kunqu Opera performances.  The first performance took place in Sir Run Run Shaw Hall, CUHK, from 7 pm to 9 pm on 17 October 2015, with around 1,200 attendees.  The performance received an overwhelming response.