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This is Story in the Story.

As a gem of Chinese civilization, Chinese opera integrates history, literature, music, dancing, handcraft, and martial arts.

There are hundreds of forms of local opera in China, among which the Peking Opera and Kunqu Opera are listed by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage.

However, the popularity of traditional Chinese opera has started to decline as people have more entertainment options.

(Photo: Guangming Daily)

For example, only a century ago, the Peking Opera was no less popular than today's pop music, while the artists were welcomed and loved by many fans who were willing to spend a fortune for a ticket to their performances.

In recent years, China has been preserving and developing traditional art forms such as opera and calligraphy in schools. The country issued a guideline in 2017, setting a goal to bring traditional styles of Chinese opera into all campuses by the end of 2020.

Today’s Story in the Story will look at how the traditional Chuan Opera style broadens minds of a group of male students.

(Photo: Guangming Daily)

Wei Yuan is what some might call a “science and technology” man, since he is currently studying engineering in college. 

However, Wei and several other male engineers are showing that they’re not just interested in computers and science – they’re also interested in the theatrics associated with the Chuan Opera style, according to Guangming Daily.

Chuan Opera is a traditional style of opera that originated in Sichuan Province, which is a far cry from engineering.

Wei discovered his passion while he was nervously preparing for his college entrance exams. He was looking for information online and noticed a Sichuan TV video in his search results titled “Chuan Opera performed in Sichuan dialect.”

From the moment he laid eyes on the video, Wei was hooked on the style and was enthralled by the images.

After being admitted to the School of Bioengineering at Chongqing University, Wei eventually sought out a live Chuan Opera performance at Chongqing Chuan Theatre. Wei claims that his first live experience “ignited” his heart and pushed him to bring several of his male classmates with him to other showings.

Wei then decided to start a campus club called the Youlan Opera Society at his university.

The Youlan Opera Society gradually gained a reputation on campus and that helped Wei recruit more people as members.

(Photo: Guangming Daily)

In 2017, Wei started working on the club’s latest performance called “White Snake Biography” at Chongqing University.

To make the production happen, Wei read many books, watched drama clubs, and even studied under professional Chuan Opera actors.

The school had so much faith in the production, it allocated 120,000 yuan for rehearsal expenses and the Chongqing Chuan Theatre sent actors over to train the school’s students.

In April, “White Snake Biography” premiered at the university and was a smash hit – selling out immediately.

Over the last few years, the Youlan Opera Society has performed three shows, spanning roughly two hours each. Several of the club’s members have also been honored by other nations and in 2017, some were asked to tour several cities in Europe to spread the joy of their Chuan Opera performances.

After all the positive press concerning his club, Wei now wants to become a professional director of Chuan Operas. He also wants his love of opera to inspire others. 

“We just got together because we like Chuan Opera,” Wei said. “We also hope that our enthusiasm and persistence make the Chuan Opera style more approachable to young people.”

(Produced by Nancy Yan Xu, Raymond Mendoza, and Lance Crayon. Music by: bensound.com. Text from Guangming Daily, Xinhua, and China Daily.)