Celebrating a traditional art form

Red carpets, sensual choreography, powerful music, gorgeous costumes and impressive visual effects created a visual feast at a Peking Opera performance on a recent weekend in Beijing's Central Business District.

The show, staged by the Peking Opera Theater of Beijing, a troupe that was founded in 1979 and which was the principal stage for Peking Opera masters including Ma Liangliang, Tan Fuying and Zhang Junqiu, was part of the Lux Shine National Heritage Grand Ceremony, an event celebrating the traditional Chinese art form and honoring Peking Opera actors.

"The reason I got involved with such a stylish and crossover production is because I wanted to do something really big and trendy that would appeal to everyone, not just to people who understand Peking Opera," says Ma Yingying, the founder and CEO of Lux Shine, a Beijing-based company, which organized the gala.