21st century take on Qinqiang Opera wins fans

On the first day of the May Day holiday, more than 1,000 opera enthusiasts gathered in downtown Xi'an, Shaanxi province, to sing alongside 13 performers from the Yisu Society — China's first Qinqiang Opera performance and education organization, which was founded in 1912.

Hosted by the Xi'an Federation of Literary and Art Circles, the event was held to promote Qinqiang Opera, a 2,000-year-old art form that originated during the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC), evolved through later dynasties, and gained widespread popularity during the last imperial era, the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).

Originating in Shaanxi province, Qinqiang Opera is renowned for its sonorous vocals and varied repertoire that includes historical epics, mythological tales, and folk narratives.

During the event, a number of classic works were performed, among them San Di Xue (Three Drops of Blood), the story of a conflict between a merchant and his greedy younger brother, and Huo Yan Ju (Flame Steed), the story of a general fighting to rescue his younger brother after he is wrongly imprisoned.

To engage the audience — many of whom had little previous knowledge of the art — there was an interactive segment during which visitors could try on traditional costumes, apply stage makeup, and even learn to sing a few lines selected from famous operas.

The organizers expressed hope that such initiatives will spark interest in Qinqiang Opera among the younger generation, and breathe new life into this centuries-old tradition.

According to Kuaishou, a popular short-video platform and one of the event's organizers, Qinqiang Opera, which was added to China's list of intangible heritage items in 2006, has seen a resurgence in popularity thanks to innovative digital promotions. For instance, the number of Qinqiang-related short videos on the platform surged by 65 percent year-on-year in December alone.