Shanghai Yueju Opera Theater's show, A Dream of the Red Mansions, which was based on a Chinese novel with the same title written in the 18th century, premiered in 1958 and will launch a national tour this year to mark its 60th anniversary. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Speaking about the upcoming tour, Wang says: "During the past 60 years, the production has toured the world, and now it's returning to the capital, which is like a reunion."

Yueju Opera is the second most popular Chinese opera form out of 348 opera genres in China, according to Liang Hongjun, the head of the Shanghai Yueju Opera Theater, which was founded in 1955.

The art form, which combines singing, dancing and acting, originated in Shengzhou, in Zhejiang province, in around 1906 and was mostly performed by male farmers.

It later became a popular art form in Zhejiang province and Shanghai. And in the 1920s, all-female Yueju Opera troupes began to appear in Shanghai.

Yueju Opera was incredibly popular in the 1930s and 40s.

The Shanghai Yueju Opera Theatre's A Dream of the Red Mansions is part of the upcoming Second NCPA Yueju Opera Week.

In 2014, the NCPA held the first Yueju Opera Week, and had Wang as its artistic consultant.

The event, which runs throughout May 5 at the NCPA, will feature eight Yueju Opera productions by four companies－the Shanghai Yueju Opera Theater; the Zhejiang Yueju Opera Theater; the Hangzhou Yueju Opera Theater and the Fanghua Yueju Opera Theater of Fujian province.

Speaking about the how the idea of the festival took shape, Wang Wei, the director of the performance department of the NCPA, says: "Four years ago we launched NCPA Yueju Opera Week because Yueju Opera is popular with Chinese audiences.