Chinese "ghost opera" revives in recent years

An actress performs the Mulian Opera in Xinchang County, east China's Zhejiang Province, March 14, 2011. It was the first Mulian Opera performance in Xinchang since 1996. The Mulian Opera, is also called "Guixi", meaning "ghost opera" in Chinese, as most of players perform with ghost-like make-ups. As one of the oldest Chinese theatric genres, it refers to the tale about Mulian saving his mother, a major play performed in the opera. As time goes on, the Mulian Opera has become an integration of folk stories, sideshows and acrobatics. However, the opera has been dying since 1980s as fewer people were interested in it. It has been listed as one of the national intangible cultural heritages in 2006 and become revival in recent years as more people found its cultural values. (Xinhua/Wang Dingchang)

An actor performs the Mulian Opera in Xinchang County, east China's Zhejiang Province, March 14, 2011. It was the first Mulian Opera performance in Xinchang since 1996. The Mulian Opera, is also called "Guixi", meaning "ghost opera" in Chinese, as most of players perform with ghost-like make-ups. As one of the oldest Chinese theatric genres, it refers to the tale about Mulian saving his mother, a major play performed in the opera. As time goes on, the Mulian Opera has become an integration of folk stories, sideshows and acrobatics. However, the opera has been dying since 1980s as fewer people were interested in it. It has been listed as one of the national intangible cultural heritages in 2006 and become revival in recent years as more people found its cultural values. (Xinhua/Wang Dingchang)

A girl practises basic skills of the Mulian Opera at an art school in Xinchang County, east China's Zhejiang Province, March 14, 2011. It was the first Mulian Opera performance in Xinchang since 1996. The Mulian Opera, is also called "Guixi", meaning "ghost opera" in Chinese, as most of players perform with ghost-like make-ups. As one of the oldest Chinese theatric genres, it refers to the tale about Mulian saving his mother, a major play performed in the opera. As time goes on, the Mulian Opera has become an integration of folk stories, sideshows and acrobatics. However, the opera has been dying since 1980s as fewer people were interested in it. It has been listed as one of the national intangible cultural heritages in 2006 and become revival in recent years as more people found its cultural values. (Xinhua/Wang Dingchang)

An actor performs the Mulian Opera in Xinchang County, east China's Zhejiang Province, March 14, 2011. It was the first Mulian Opera performance in Xinchang since 1996. The Mulian Opera, is also called "Guixi", meaning "ghost opera" in Chinese, as most of players perform with ghost-like make-ups. As one of the oldest Chinese theatric genres, it refers to the tale about Mulian saving his mother, a major play performed in the opera. As time goes on, the Mulian Opera has become an integration of folk stories, sideshows and acrobatics. However, the opera has been dying since 1980s as fewer people were interested in it. It has been listed as one of the national intangible cultural heritages in 2006 and become revival in recent years as more people found its cultural values. (Xinhua/Wang Dingchang)