Embracing Traditional Operas

Traditional Chinese operas are an important part of Chinas intangible cultural heritage， including well-known genres such as Peking Opera， Kunqu Opera and Cantonese Opera. Among them， Peking Opera has greatly outperformed others in terms of recognition abroad. Some foreigners not only travel to China to watch it， but also to pick up some of the operas performance techniques.

However， as todays audiences are evolving to consume different forms of entertainment， traditional operas face challenges regarding the maintenance of their cultural legacy whilst innovating to keep up with contemporary needs.

In terms of retaining its popularity， the industry is obstructed by a lack of master performers—and Peking Opera is no exception. Compared with older generations of heavyweights， even todays best young performers lag far behind in terms of ability and repertoire. In the past， Peking Opera actors and actresses were able to perform more than 100 plays each， while today， being able to do a dozen is seen as laudable.

Generating innovation poses an even greater challenge. Most of the excellent plays on show are inherited from previous generations. There are few newly written plays and even then， “excellent” new plays are rare.

Due to the increasingly diverse entertainment landscape—in particular the thriving industries of pop music， TV series and movies， as well as games—young peoples interest in traditional operas is waning， as is its market. This adds pressure to opera troupes as they struggle for survival， often resulting in the extinction of a number of opera genres.

Can traditional operas be protected and once again prosper by going through the process of innovation？ The Chinese Government has taken many measures to achieve that goal. Last July， the State Council issued a document stressing the development of traditional operas. The document proposed that in the coming five years， there will be a well-established support system， and also a scheme for training performers that combines schools and opera troupes.

On the basis of creating a nationwide census， the Ministry of Culture has embarked on the establishment of a thorough database of the varieties of local operas and also an online platform for information sharing. The platform is expected to take shape by June 2017. Besides， China has also started a revitalization project for local operas. Local governments have been encouraged to set up special funds to contribute to the operas development as well.

Crafting a promising future for traditional operas is a common concern for all， as every kind of art form is a type of wealth that belongs to the whole human race. It is something worth handing down from one generation to another.