Special Supplement: Local Cantonese Opera receives new lease of life

GUANGZHOU: Cantonese opera performers and cultural officials are determined to keep the centuries-old art form alive.

"As globalization speeds up and young Chinese are immersed by other entertainment, various traditional art forms, as well as opera, face severe competition," said Ni Huiying, director of the Guangzhou Cantonese Yueju Opera Troupe.

Cantonese Opera, a traditional Chinese art form that involves music, singing, martial arts, acrobatics and acting, was first developed in the Pearl River Delta region some 400 years ago.