Spring Festival opera breaks internet with 310 million clicks

One of the most popular programs during the Spring Festival Gala of Shandong Radio and TV Station, the opera retelling of the Legend of the White Snake has garnered 310 million clicks, according to a seminar held in Beijing on Saturday.

Titled Bai She Zhuan ∙ Qian Shi Jin Sheng (Legends of White Snake ∙ Past and Present), the Yueju Opera rendered by artists Li Yunxiao and Zheng Yecheng has been listed in trending topics on various social platforms like Sina Weibo for over 140 times and amassed over 2.46 million likes on its related short videos.

During the event, Zheng shared that while traditional operas, with their dialect-based lyrics and unique artistic expression, may pose a challenge for younger audiences to appreciate, he believes that the cultural heritage will continue to captivate viewers through modern adaptations, thanks to those who truly love it.

Another highlight for the gala was that for the first time in history, the annual program set an overseas stage in Adelaide in Australia, promoting the culture of Spring Festival, which was inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity last year.

Exemplifying the conventional program's usage of the internet in this new era, the Shandong gala, in one show, gathered anchors in 16 cities across the province to sing Xiang Qin Xiang Ai (Mutual Affection), a song that has gained popularity since debuting as the theme song of the 11th National Games of China. Lu Shaoyang, a professor of journalism and communication at Peking University, commented on it as an innovative way to garner widespread attention online.