The Zhejiang Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism launched a grand exhibition of 16 classic Yueju Operas at the Xiaobaihua Yue Opera Theater in the provincial capital of Hangzhou on March 27, which coincides with World Theatre Day as well as the 115th anniversary of the founding of the local opera.

The exhibition, which will run until May 5, is considered the largest gathering of Yueju Opera artists in over a decade. The 16 operas will be presented by 10 esteemed Yueju Opera troupes and the cast includes around 50 top actors and actresses, nearly 20 of whom are Plum Blossom Award (the most prestigious theatrical award in China) laureates.

Yueju Opera is considered to have originated on March 27, 1906, when a folk artist stood on a crude stage and sang songs in a village in Shaoxing, Zhejiang province. Yueju Opera is known for expressing emotions and its focus on singing, reflecting the unique aesthetic tastes prevalent in the prosperous regions south of the Yangtze River. Its subject matter is mainly romance among well-educated youths in ancient times.

A scene from the classic Yueju Opera Dream of the Red Mansions. [Photo provided to China Daily]