Xunnan Li and Yuan Du

The Dangdai Xiao Juchang Xiqu Jie (Contemporary Black Box Xiqu Festival), operated at Star Theatres, has been a significant engine for contemporary experimentation of Xiqu (Chinese traditional theatre) since its establishment in 2014. Now entering its 12th year in 2025, the festival has supported more than 200 experimental Xiqu projects, drawing millions of audience members from across China. It remains one of the earliest and most influential cultural clusters where emerging Xiqu artists can articulate their creative voices in a flexible, low-cost, and artist-centred environment. Reading the slogan “He He” (和合harmony and collaboration) of this year’s festival and speaking with its founder and CEO, Mr. Fan Xing, I argue that this longstanding initiative has grown into a hybrid cultural space and the meaning of “He He” performatively means a harmonious collaboration between the futurist experimentation and the deep-rooted nostalgia.