Renowned Peking Opera artist committed to both old and new material

Yuan Huiqin can still recall the day she enrolled to study Peking Opera at an art school in her hometown of Yichang, Hubei province, when she was 10 years old.

She practiced very hard for eight hours daily and sometimes fell asleep during the daytime as she imagined the roles she would play.

She focused on female warriors such as the patriotic retired general She Saihua, one of the best-known roles in The Female Generals of the Yang Family, who is guarded by her dragon-head cane.