Liu Fei (left) gives a lecture at Aberdeen Centre Mall in Vancouver on Jan 2. [Photo/Culturalink.gov.cn]

Actors also gave a performance of the most difficult part in the Opera: to imitate ancient women's walking movements by wearing special shoes. The performers must walk and dance only on their toes. To the audience's surprise, it is men who dance and walk in these specially made shoes, rather than women.

Professor Liu shared his experience in Shanxi with the audiences. He noted that the actors who don't specialize in opera devoted themselves to the Opera by going through a series of unthinkable difficulties when learning opera techniques.

"The Chinese Culture Talks lets people in Vancouver get to know the quintessence of Chinese culture and the Chinese spirit up close," Liu Fei, Chinese consul general in Vancouver said. She also attended the lecture.

The Chinese Culture Talks are a series of high-level cultural and academic lectures. At present, more than ten lectures have been held in the US, France, Italy, Cambodia and Indonesia. The content varies from philosophy, religion, cultural heritage, literature and art, costume, cooking and Chinese medicine.

Just in December 2015, ten lectures were given in three continents, including the one on Chinese classical instruments in Indonesia, and another on Chinese folk music in Washington DC.

The Chinese Culture Talks also gave two more lectures on opera knowledge, and on the background story in Opera Warriors respectively at Goh Ballet and the Queen Elizabeth Theater on Jan 4-5.