"Fallen petals cloak the moonlight sky,
A wine cup raised to honor on high.
With tears, the princess lights her incense-
Wishing death in return for her parents' grace."
So goes "The Flower Princess", a Cantonese opera that has echoed through the corridors of time for 68 years. Recently, it has found new life thanks to the rapper SKAI ISYOURGOD, whose song "Blueprint Supreme" samples this opera, lighting up social media with its unexpected blend of classic and new.
In May, actress Ng Man-ting, who has just portrayed Princess Cheung-ping in the opera, shares that she first heard the song through a friend's phone. "Because we listen to this song all day, I wondered when I heard it: Why are so many people constantly listening to 'The Flower Princess'?" Later, scrolling through comments online, she noticed people writing things like, "I've never heard 'The Flower Princess' before, but because of this song, I want to search for it." She is also struck and fascinated by how the MV's mention of "Pak Suet-sin", a legendary diva of the genre, sparks public curiosity - "Who is 'Pak Suet-sin'? What is 'The Flower Princess'? Where is this melody from?"
Wong Shing-chuen, CEO and Music Director of the Hong Kong Cantonese Opera Troupe (HKCOT), explains that the melody used in "Blueprint Supreme" comes from "The Fragrant Death" of "The Flower Princess", reimagined with variations and new lyrics. He notes that this method of recontextualizing opera isn't new—after all, the whimsical McDull films have adapted the same tune for lines like:
"No cash to buy a slice of pie,
Owing money makes me sigh."
Actor Vong Seng-pan, who also starred in "The Flower Princess" this May as Chow Sai-hin, remarks that blending Cantonese opera and modern pop is far more difficult than most imagine. What impresses him about "Blueprint Supreme" is how the integration feels seamless, natural, and emotionally resonant-an achievement that is both rare and commendable.
Cantonese opera: a tradition that never missed a beat
While the sudden popularity of "Blueprint Supreme" catapults Cantonese opera back into the limelight, for those within the art form, the journey of passing on and evolving its legacy has never truly paused.
Veteran artist Wong, who has spent over four decades in the industry, has witnessed the golden age of Cantonese opera in Hong Kong. In 2023, he founded the Hong Kong Cantonese Opera Troupe with a clear aspiration: "I want to create some Cantonese operas that make people feel pleasant to listen to and nice to watch."
Breaking away from the rigid style of traditional staging, Wong focuses on refining actors' movements as they enter and exit the scene, while offering them creative freedom in musical expression and dramatic interpretation.
Beyond the troupe's performances, he also teaches Cantonese opera at Hong Kong Metropolitan University, nurturing a new generation of learners. At the same time, his drama troupe also collaborated with the Hong Kong Metropolitan University to organize students to participate in the translation of Cantonese opera scripts. "The English translated version of Cantonese Operas will be available online in the future, enabling more people to understand what Cantonese opera is," Wong said.
Meanwhile, Ng has leaned into experimental formats—often performing in productions that blend drama with Cantonese opera, offering new opportunities for audiences unfamiliar with the genre to get introduced to it. She shares that she sometimes receives comments from pleasantly surprised audience members, saying things like they never expected Cantonese opera to be so engaging and not that outdated. Moments like these, she says, remind her that the work she's doing is truly worthwhile.
(Reporter: Kelly Yang, Ella Qu; Chinese Editor: Bernard Ng, Ella Qu; Translator: Anson Lin; English Editor: Liu Yu; Producer: Tracy)
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