Chinesetoday | 56 Year Old Farmer Inherits Mengxi Opera in East China - 10 May 2024

This combo photo shows the troupe members posing for a group photo outside their troupe in Ganzhu Township (above) and them posing for a group photo before a performance in Xigang Village (below) in Guangchang County, east China's Jiangxi Province, May 10, 2024. Li Anping, 56, is a farmer in Ganzhu Township of Guangchang County in east China's Jiangxi Province, and his father is an amateur actor of a local Mengxi opera troupe. When he was young, Li usually watched his father's play. He was moved by the characters' stories deeply and attracted by the philosophy of life conveyed in the opera. After graduating from junior high school, he joined a troupe in the county and studied opera with old artists. Originated in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), the Guangchang Mengxi opera is a kind of opera based on the folklore of Lady Meng Jiang. The opera is mainly sung in high tune, accompanied by only small gongs and drums. "When I started to learn opera, singing was the most difficult part. Mengxi opera's tune is very high and the range is wide. Sometimes I could only learn one libretto in a few weeks," said Li Anping. There are many emotional expressions in Mengxi opera. "When you put on the costume, you need to forget yourself," the teacher taught Li Anping. Following the teacher's guidance, sometimes Li ended up with tears in his eyes after singing because he got too deep into the character. Thanks to his love for the opera and hard practice, Li has gradually become a key actor of the troupe. "In the past, there were many people watching the opera during the holidays. The stage was even once crushed by the children on it," Li recalled. In the 1990s, many young people in the troupe went out to do business and work. Li also thought about that. "If you leave, who will pass on this opera to the next generation?" The teacher's words made Li give up his idea. In 2006, Mengxi opera was included in the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage. Now, the troupe where Li is from have dozens of performances every yea