Young voices revive Kunqu Opera's centuries-old legacy

NANCHANG — For 22-year-old Zou Yu, a student in the opera class at Fuzhou Vocational Technical College in East China's Jiangxi province, the day usually begins at 5 am.

Every day, she and her classmates undergo eight hours of intensive training, covering everything from basic skills and body movements to singing and stage rehearsals.

Studying the 600-year-old Kunqu Opera is by no means easy. Three years ago, she fell face-first during a back-throwing move, injuring her cheekbone and leaving it bloodied.

"My parents cried and tried to persuade me to quit," she recalls."But I still remember how amazed I was when I watched The Peony Pavilion for the first time. That kind of beauty is worth preserving for a lifetime."

Written in 1598 — around the same time Shakespeare completed Romeo and Juliet — Tang Xianzu's The Peony Pavilion tells the story of Du Liniang, a young woman from a wealthy family who falls asleep next to a peony pavilion and dreams of a romantic encounter with a young scholar, Liu Mengmei.

Kunqu Opera, an elegant fusion of poetry, music, intricate costumes, and graceful performance with a history spanning more than six centuries, was inscribed on UNESCO's list of World Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2001.

Such demanding training reflects not only students' passion for Kunqu Opera, but also the urgency of preserving the traditional art form.

"Around 2010, opera development in Fuzhou faced a serious talent gap," says Wu Lan, director of the city's culture and art development center.

At the time, Wu explains, the average age of professional opera performers in the city exceeded 48, while those under 35 accounted for less than 10 percent. Several local opera genres were on the verge of extinction.

A turning point came in 2016, when the city launched an opera inheritance and innovation initiative. One of its key measures was establishing opera inheritance classes at Fuzhou Vocational and Technical College.

According to the city's finance bureau, from 2017 to 2024, a total of 6.8 million yuan ($972,658) has been allocated to support the program. During that period, 198 young performers completed training and joined local troupes. Today, young practitioners make up 40 percent of Fuzhou's opera workforce.

"In the past, it was always us taking the stage," says Tang Guangming, a national-level representative inheritor of intangible cultural heritage."Now the young generation has grown up."

In recent years, the local government has also funded free opera performances by commissioning private troupes. In Linchuan district alone, 190 such performances were staged last year, backed by a government budget of 665,000 yuan.

Zhu Xudong's troupe is among the beneficiaries. When it began performing in the Wenchangli historical area in 2021, ticket prices discouraged many elderly residents. With government subsidies, however, performances are now free, drawing elderly people who bring their own chairs and young parents who come with their babies.

"It feels like a cultural feast," says Cheng Wen, a local resident who often brings her 2-year-old child to watch the shows. "The performances are wonderful, and I always feel uplifted afterward."

"My original aspiration has always been to spread and pass on Fuzhou's profound theatrical culture," Zhu says.

In 2016, marking the 400th anniversary of Tang Xianzu's death, Fuzhou staged an immersive outdoor performance, Dreaming of the Peony Pavilion, in the Wenchangli historical area. Ancient streets dating back to the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties served as natural stages, with 12 real locations connecting the production's three chapters.

"Through technological innovation and immersive scene re-creation, the performance creates a meaningful dialogue between ancient opera and modern aesthetics," says Li Hui, head of the production's operations team.

Since its public debut in 2018, the production has attracted more than 450,000 viewers.

"Opera is not a sunset industry," says young performer Zhou Zhiqian, who shares vlogs of daily training online. "Short videos and immersive experiences can bring it closer to today's audiences."