Retreading the boards to support a new family

Former performer returned to the theater following his retirement to provide a better living for his adopted children

In Central China's Henan province, Wang Kuan is a celebrity. As one of the top local opera performers, he has played in big theaters and is widely respected.

But after he retired at age 56 in 1998, he did something that many found strange - for the best part of the next decade, he rushed around on his moped at night between various tea houses in Zhengzhou, carrying a big suitcase filled with costumes and performing for anyone willing to pay.