Ancient opera finds ways to remain alive

Into the digital age

Hailed as the ancestor of many traditional Chinese operas, Qinqiang was once a prevailing art form but later went through a period of decline amid the entertainment industry's rapid expansion. Today, however, the centuries-old art is finding new life — not only through the popularity of The Lead, but also through new technologies and innovative approaches to presenting traditional culture.

For Li, the need to adapt is personal. "When I was 15 or 16, I felt confused and struggled, thinking that Qinqiang was dying. We couldn't sell tickets back then," she recalls.

Yet encouragement from veteran experts persuaded her to stay on the stage. Decades later, she sees technology not as a threat to tradition, but as one way of keeping it alive.

"Qinqiang is a precious treasure left to us by generations, constantly nourishing our bloodline and spirit. That is why the further we go, the more grounded and confident we feel," she says. "I firmly believe that traditional culture must embrace the times and technology; only then will it not be forgotten by the passage of time."

That philosophy is now being put to the test in an ambitious new project: an extended reality remake of Gui Yuan. Sha Sheng, featuring two iconic scenes from the classic Qinqiang opera Zai Xu Hong Mei Yuan (A Reunion at Red Plum Pavilion).

Li has performed the opera more than 1,300 times. It tells of a legendary romance in which a young woman, murdered by her ruthless high-ranking official husband, returns as a ghost to seek revenge and rescue the man she truly loves.

The XR project seeks to bring the performance closer to audiences in a way a conventional stage cannot.

Shot with a binocular panoramic 3D film camera at a high rate of 90 frames per second and with a 180-degree field of view, the project has completed more than 10 minutes, or half of its overall 20-minute runtime.

It vividly re-creates two famous Qinqiang stunts: "wo yu" — a posture requiring the performer to squat slowly with extreme flexibility, and "chui huo", a stunt involving bursts of flame blown from the mouth.

For audiences wearing an extended reality headset, the experience is deliberately intimate. Flames appear to burst just inches from their eyes, creating a visceral sensation that places viewers almost inside the performance rather than at a distance from the stage.

Wang Jixuan, director of the management office of the Xi'an XR Film Industry Base, says the project offers audiences a perspective rarely available in a conventional theater, where the stage can feel distant.

"Such close-range performances give the audience an immersive feeling, delivering an unparalleled sense of awe," he says.

Zhang Feng, supervisor of the Xiying Boundless XR Cinema, says the film marks the first attempt to combine advanced XR technology with intangible cultural heritage, adding that they will continue to explore the field further.

For Qinqiang Opera, the challenge is no longer to preserve an old art form, but to find new ways for audiences to see, hear, and feel it. The stage may change, but the voice remains.

Shi Futian contributed to this story.