UM PhD Candidate Shengqin Yang Serves as Chief Director and Principal Creator of Original Musical The Awakening of Chinese Youth, Supported by the Macao Cultural Development Fund and Premiered in Macao

On December 14, 2025, The Awakening of Chinese Youth, an original musical for which Shengqin Yang, a PhD candidate in the Faculty of Education at the University of Macau, served as Chief Director and Principal Creator, was successfully premiered at the Guohua Theatre in Macao. The project received support from the 2025 Macao Cultural Development Fund. This production marked Yang’s debut as a musical theatre director. In addition to directing, he also wrote the lyrics and performed the theme song of the same title.

Set against the historical backdrop of the 80th anniversary of the Victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, the musical was jointly created by the Macao Musical Theatre Association, the Arts and Sports Education Centre of the Faculty of Education at the University of Macau, and the International Exchange Department of the Chinese Musical Theatre Association, among other institutions.

The premiere was attended by distinguished scholars and experts from the fields of arts and education from both mainland China and overseas. Guests included Professor Zhifeng Hu, former President of the China Higher Education Film and Television Association, Chair Professor at Beijing Normal University, and Changjiang Scholar appointed by the Ministry of Education; Professor Lily Chen-Hafteck, Chair of the Department of Music Education at the University of California, Los Angeles; Professor Dongbo Zhang, Associate Dean of the Faculty of Education at the University of Macau; Professor Zhaowei Kong, Director of the Arts and Sports Education Centre; as well as Professor Katy Ieong Cheng Ho Weatherly, Professor Weicong Lyu, and Professor Baisheng Dai, a music expert from Macao Polytechnic University.

In post-performance discussions, experts noted that The Awakening of Chinese Youth demonstrates a high level of academic awareness and artistic accomplishment, particularly in its transformation of educational texts into stage performance, its musical theatre narrative structure, and its contemporary interpretation of youth-centered themes. The work highlights the potential of original musical theatre in Macao to engage with public humanistic issues and has been recognized as one of the most compelling original musical productions in recent years.

Inspired by Liang Qichao’s essay On Young China, the musical presents a patriotic theme centered on the awakening and intellectual inheritance of modern Chinese youth through the integrative art form of musical theatre. As an original project bridging academic research and artistic practice, the creation and performance of The Awakening of Chinese Youth reflect Shengqin Yang’s active exploration of patriotism and humanistic education as a doctoral student in music education, while also showcasing the vitality and diversity of humanistic arts research, creative practice, and cultural dissemination in Macao.