Chinese opera troupes aim to use web to boost traditional art form

The China Association of Performing Arts Committee has launched a branch that will be dedicated to traditional Chinese opera.

About 30 troupes from around the country, including the National Peking Opera Company, the Northern Kunqu Opera Theater and Xi'an Qinqiang Opera Company, recently gathered in Beijing to mark the setting up of the China Association of Performing Arts Committee of Chinese Opera with the aim of reviving public interest in the old art form.

According to Zhu Kening, president of the China Association of Performing Arts, the new body will focus on promoting traditional Chinese opera in new ways－making the art form accessible to audiences through the internet, offering such platforms as conferences and forums for the troupes to communicate and providing better theater management.

There are about 400 types of traditional Chinese opera. Most of them have been listed as national intangible cultural heritage.

"Despite government efforts, such old art forms can't be popularized unless the opera troupes explore new ways to add a contemporary touch," says Zhu. "Technology,－for example, livestreaming－can help in this regard."

Before contemporary entertainment like cinema, television and computer games became popular in the country, Chinese audiences went to theaters to watch traditional opera shows. The culture of each region, such as dialect, gave birth to a variety of traditional operas.

"The new committee will bring artists of different Chinese operas together annually to share ideas about getting into the cultural mainstream," says Zhu.