Traditional culture gets a boost

An opera form with more than 400 years of history comes along during Spring Festival

It is not uncommon to see people going to karaoke outlets, playing cards and mahjong during Spring Festival holiday in Chinese villages. As part of a rural revitalization strategy, traditional opera shows were also staged to enrich the cultural life of rural residents.

Ninghai Pingdiao ("Flat Tone"), one of the operas of East China's Zhejiang province, with origins in the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368-1911), has about 400 years of history. In 2006, it was listed among the first group of national intangible cultural heritage.