Spring of the peony

Young artists aim to boost appeal of Peking Opera with veterans showing the way, Chen Nan reports.

As the soaring sound of jinghu (Chinese two-stringed fiddle) and the beating of drums intensify, 10-year-old Ding Hu walks toward the center of the stage and poses like a warrior. In the next few minutes, he performs an act from Zuo Zhai Dao Ma, a Peking Opera classic, leaving the audience enthralled.

"You did a great job. What you need is to control your voice in high pitch," veteran Peking Opera actor Kang Bingjun tells the boy during rehearsals for a presentation of the traditional genre on Feb 9 at the Forbidden City Concert Hall in Beijing. "Don't forget to drink some water and relax before the show, and bear the character in mind."