Ancient opera finds new voice

Future horizons

A national survey conducted between 2015 and 2017 recorded 348 distinct traditional opera forms across China. While 48 are major styles distributed across multiple provinces, 300 are highly localized, regional varieties.

Since 2021, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism has implemented targeted preservation projects, utilizing government-funded service procurement to support 227 of these varieties, which have no State-sponsored troupes or only one State troupe.

In February 2026, five government departments jointly issued a three-year action plan for dramatic arts revival, focusing on supporting theater troupes, improving repertoire quality, enhancing evaluation and funding efficiency, strengthening talent development, and expanding outreach to cultivate young audiences.

Despite growing enthusiasm, challenges persist. "I don't want these arts to disappear, but traditional opera faces decline without market viability or genuine passion from practitioners," Lu observes.

During Liu Yuxuan's summer visits to intangible cultural heritage inheritors, elderly artists consistently identified succession and limited markets as primary concerns. Regional opera forms face particular challenges, often restricted to specific geographical areas with shrinking audiences.

Nevertheless, social media platforms offer grounds for optimism. "Mobile phones and short videos let young people like us access opera culture conveniently, supporting promotion and inheritance," Liu Yuxuan says.

"I hope people move past the stereotype that opera is only for the elderly," he adds. "These arts deserve our attention — not just for the stories on stage, but also for the profound dedication and persistence of the performers."