A girl gets her makeup for an opera character. [Photo/nbyznews.cn]

Two South African girls — 11-year-old Rose and 10-year-old Anna — transformed into Yueju Opera characters on Aug 12 at the Bi Chunfang Art Museum, in Dongjiao subdistrict of Ningbo.

Dressed as Liang Shanbo and Cao Fang'er, two classic opera characters, they joined a summer program introducing children to the beauty of Yueju Opera, China's second-largest operatic genre.

Professional stylists from the Yinzhou Yueju Opera Troupe guided the children through traditional makeup techniques — explaining how eye shadow, eyebrow shapes and eyeliners reflect different roles. "I've become an ancient Chinese person!" Rose exclaimed, admiring her costume and headpiece.

The program offers immersive experiences in Yueju Opera performance, including gestures training, the practice of movements and vocal rhythms. Participants also learn choreography from the Yueju Opera version of the tea-picking dance and watch original productions.

Rose and Anna are part of Dongjiao's "Yue You Circle" — a growing community of foreign residents engaging with local opera culture.

By combining traditional stagecraft with international participation, Dongjiao is fostering deeper appreciation for Chinese opera and creating a vibrant platform for cultural exchanges among youth from around the world.

South African girl Rose learns opera movements. [Photo/nbyznews.cn]

An opera teacher shows a South African girl the basic movements. [Photo/nbyznews.cn]