Love it or loathe it, Peking Opera is recognized as an essential part of traditional Chinese culture. But its popularity has waned over the past few decades. In China’s east port city of Qingdao, elementary school students have been offered a chance to breathe new life in the old tradition.
Traditional costumes, fluid movements, and skillful singing. The children look like that they come from a professional Peking Opera troupe. But they are just ordinary students enrolled in a weekly after-school activity. And they are anything but shy in front of the camera.
Ping’an 2nd Road Elementary School is one of the first in Qingdao to bring Peking Opera to students. Classes here began five years ago, and to date some 400 students have attended the classes.
Wang Yan, Music Teacher, Ping'an 2nd Road Elementary School, said, "Our weekly activity runs every Monday afternoon, for 2 class hours."
Students here devote themselves to applying intricate make-ups and learning new melodies with enthusiasm. To make it happen, the school has had to overcome a number of difficulties.
Ji Yuyuan, Principal of Ping'an 2nd Road Elementary School, said, "The cost of hiring guest teachers, as well as buying costumes, props, musical instruments, is a problem for us. And we don’t know if these kids will be able to continue learning about Peking Opera when they go to middle school. "
Since 2008, the Ministry of Education has required schools to include Peking Opera content in music curriculums, in the hope of preserving this Chinese art form for generations to come.