Bauhinia Magazine (Reporter Li Boyang) reported from Hong Kong: On the evening of October 2, the 21st round of performances of Tsinghua University's original play "Malan Flower Blooms" was passionately staged at the Jockey Club Auditorium of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. This is the first time since its premiere ten years ago that "Malan Flower Blooms" has come to Hong Kong to tell the touching deeds of Deng Jiaxian, the "Founding Father of Two Bombs," to Hong Kong citizens.
Performance Scene
At the performance scene, as the curtain slowly opened, Deng Jiaxian's magnificent life of studying abroad and returning to China, bidding farewell to his family, concealing his name, and casting the national soul unfolded slowly under the spotlight. Amidst the melodious singing of "Rooted in the vast land, deeply loving the homeland...", the audience also seemed to be brought to the distant plateau desert.
Half a century ago, under conditions of scarce data, lack of testing conditions, and harsh environments, Deng Jiaxian led the completion of the theoretical design plans for the atomic bomb and hydrogen bomb. The successful explosion of the "Two Bombs" greatly enhanced China's national defense strength and international status.
Qiu Yong, Secretary of the Party Committee of Tsinghua University, delivered a speech stating that Tsinghua University was born during a time of national peril, grew during the nation's struggle, and developed during the nation's revitalization. For 112 years, Tsinghua people have always upheld the glorious tradition of patriotism, dedication, and pursuit of excellence, consciously linking their personal destiny closely with the destiny of the country. Deng Jiaxian, the protagonist of "Malan Flower Blooms," is an outstanding representative among them. In the long course of running the school, Tsinghua University has always received strong support from friends in all sectors of Hong Kong, and the school has also actively contributed to Hong Kong's development and construction. The first tour of "Malan Flower Blooms" in Hong Kong is believed that a group of non-art performance major Tsinghua teachers and students will present a wonderful performance for Hong Kong friends, inspiring young people in both places to be closer and more affectionate, and working together to make new and greater contributions to the steady and long-term implementation of "One Country, Two Systems".
Since its premiere in 2013, "Malan Flower Blooms" has gone through ten years. Nearly 800 Tsinghua teachers and students have participated in the rehearsal, dedicating 94 public performances cumulatively, covering more than 130,000 audience members. Its tour footprints have covered the north and south of the motherland. Tsinghua University staff stated that in the process of guiding students to create characters, the play also witnessed the growth of generations of young students, helping young people in the new era find their spiritual core in the eventful years.
In the opening year of fully implementing the spirit of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China and on the occasion of the 74th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, the first visit of "Malan Flower Blooms" to Hong Kong also marks the first landing of the "Backbone of the Republic - Masters of Science Promotion Project of Famous Schools" in Hong Kong. Tsinghua University stated that this performance aims to stimulate the glorious tradition of loving the country and Hong Kong, and build a cultural bridge for exchanges between young people in the mainland and Hong Kong.
The entire cast and crew of the "Malan Flower Blooms" team visiting Hong Kong this time consists of more than 80 undergraduate and graduate students and faculty members from 32 departments of Tsinghua University. In order to tell the "Flower Blooms" story better to Hong Kong friends, based on the belief that "everything must match Deng Jiaxian," a group of non-art performance major teachers and students showed extreme professionalism, rehearsing intensively, and striving to convey Deng Jiaxian's spirit to the audience vividly.
Fu Yujie, a 2020 doctoral student at the School of Marxism, Tsinghua University, plays Deng Jiaxian in the play. He has participated in the performance for a full 10 years since the 4th round of public performances. He said that realizing the dream of a strong country is the great wish of the older generation of scientists and also the goal of all Chinese sons and daughters, including Hong Kong compatriots. It is hoped that today's performance can not only tell the glorious story of the rise of the Republic but also tell the current story of Chinese youth serving the country with patriotism.
Chen Jiacheng, a 2022 master's student at the School of Journalism and Communication from Hong Kong, plays Deng Jiaxian's colleague in the play. This performance is his first time participating in the rehearsal. He said that he is honored to return to Hong Kong to perform with Tsinghua classmates. Deng Jiaxian's spirit has deeply influenced him. He sincerely hopes to pass this spirit on to his family, friends, and more Hong Kong people. The achievements our country has made today are hard-won, and the stories of Deng Jiaxian and "Two Bombs, One Satellite" are powerful proofs of New China's self-reliance and hard work.
The entire cast and crew of the "Malan Flower Blooms" team visiting Hong Kong this time consists of more than 80 undergraduate and graduate students and faculty members from 32 departments of Tsinghua University. The picture shows a group photo of all cast and crew members.
In order to vividly display the creative background of the play and enable Hong Kong audiences to better understand the historical origins and moving stories of "Two Bombs, One Satellite," the crew set up a special exhibition at the entrance of the audience gallery on the first floor of the Jockey Club Auditorium, detailing Deng Jiaxian's life and deeds, stories of Tsinghua people in "Two Bombs, One Satellite," stories of scientific and technological workers, and the rehearsal process of the play.
The crew set up a special exhibition at the entrance of the audience gallery on the first floor of the Jockey Club Auditorium.
This performance was jointly hosted by the China Association for Science and Technology, the Ministry of Education, the Central Committee of the Communist Youth League, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Chinese Academy of Engineering, the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles, and the Bauhinia Culture Group. It was undertaken by Tsinghua University, the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, and Bauhinia Magazine, and supported by Bank of Communications (Hong Kong).
Guests attending the performance included Qiu Yong, Secretary of the Party Committee of Tsinghua University; Liu Guangyuan, Deputy Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong S.A.R.; Margaret Chan, Founding Dean of the Vanke School of Public Health at Tsinghua University and Honorary Director-General of the World Health Organization; Wang Zhaobing, Deputy Political Commissar of the PLA Hong Kong Garrison; Choi Yuk-lin, Secretary for Education of the HKSAR Government; and Sun Dong, Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, etc.
It is reported that this performance is the first of the Hong Kong and Macau tour celebrating the 10th anniversary of the creation and rehearsal of "Malan Flower Blooms." After the Hong Kong performance, the crew will rush to Macau and perform at the University of Macau on October 5.