A CHINESE dance drama exploring the lives of early migrants from China to Southeast Asia has concluded its Malaysian run, drawing audiences in Kuala Lumpur with a story of hardship, family ties and cultural heritage.
Odes to Heroes, performed by Guangzhou Song and Dance Theatre, was staged three times at the Grand Theatre of the Jeffrey Cheah Performing Arts Centre on Sept 25 and 26 as part of the 2026 Guangzhou Culture Week.
The production follows Chen Xinyuan, a young man whose journey across time and space brings him face to face with the experiences of earlier generations of Chaoshan people who left China in search of a livelihood in Southeast Asia.
Traditional Chaoshan Yingge dance, marked by forceful movements and the rhythmic striking of wooden mallets, drives the performance. The story also draws on qiaopi — letters sent home by overseas Chinese, often accompanied by remittances — to portray the enduring ties between migrants and their families.
Chao Opera, Chaozhou woodcarving, embroidery and oil-paper lanterns are woven into the production, alongside Teochew rap and multimedia effects that bring traditional art forms to a contemporary stage.
The performances drew a full house, with audiences responding with prolonged applause.
Tan Chai Puan, one of the co-founders of Malaysia’s 24 Festive Drums, said he had expected the show to centre on the powerful movements and martial arts influences associated with Yingge dance. Instead, he was struck by its emotional depth.
“I thought I would see only those familiar formations and the commanding energy created by the fusion of martial arts and dance. What I did not expect was that beneath the heroism of this dance drama lay such a tender emotional undercurrent,” he said.
The story also resonated with audience members whose families share a similar history of migration.
Huang, who travelled from Seremban, Negeri Sembilan, to watch the performance, said his ancestors had gone south in search of a livelihood before eventually losing contact with relatives in China.
“But that sense of being connected by blood has always remained,” he said.
Malaysia and China are marking 52 years of diplomatic relations this year, with ties shaped not only by official engagements but also by generations of migration and cultural exchange.
Through the experiences of the Chaoshan community, Odes to Heroes brings that shared history to the stage, reflecting the connections between people separated by geography but linked by ancestry and tradition.
Following its Singapore and Malaysia engagements, the Guangzhou troupe has departed for Bangkok, Thailand, for the next leg of its tour. - October 12, 2026