Schools preserve Peking Opera's future

Performers from Chunhui Zixi Children's Peking Opera Theater stage a show in Beijing.

The opera's audience has dwindled to just the middle aged and seniors, said Liu Guofu, a Peking Opera theory teacher at the Shijia school.

In a countermeasure, the Ministry of Education said operas such as Peking Opera would be added to the primary school curricula as an extracurricular choice, allowing students the option of enriching their spare time while gaining an appreciation for the vanishing art.

The Shijia school also provides other courses that describe the theory and history of Peking Opera. And Beijing's education department approved textbooks for the Peking Opera, including Learn Peking Opera in Amusement.

Liu, the Shijia teacher, said his job is to give students an overall picture of the art form. The younger generation should know the origin, development and present status of the Peking Opera in addition to costumes and facial paintings, Liu said.

Each semester, Liu uses photos and videos to show students the difference between the opera, television and movies. Vivid images make boring theories more interesting and pique students' imaginations with a desire to learn, Liu said.

From Liu's perspective, Peking Opera has the ability to subconsciously inspire students to love their families and the country. The classical play of the story of Yue Feng, a general in the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279), cultivates patriotism, he said.

The training program seeks to build future audiences, not recruit professional performers, but there is always a student or two who are especially captivated.

Hu Jiahua, 8, a student in Tongzhou district who has studied opera for two years, said he likes pop music, but loves opera, so his parents bought him videos to help him practice at home.

"The opera has special charm for its distinct moves and singing. Though I am amateur in the art form now, I have a dream to become a professional performer when I grow up," Hu said.

huyongqi@chinadaily.com.cn

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