|

Artists perform the Shaoxing Opera classic Golden Monkey Brings Fortune at the Shaoxing Olympic Sports Center on Aug 20. [Photo/Tide News]

A beloved character familiar to cinema audiences appeared in an unexpected setting on the evening of Aug 20 on the athletic field of Shaoxing Olympic Sports Center.

For the first time, the classic Shaoxing Opera program Golden Monkey Brings Fortune was performed at the venue. As young performers dressed as monkeys waved colorful flags and entered the arena, they were followed by a lively sequence of martial-arts opera and monkey-themed scenes, drawing cheers from the crowd.

Shaoxing Opera, which originated over 400 years ago, remains a vital part of Shaoxing's cultural identity. Its appearance on a sports stage reflects ongoing efforts to blend traditional performing arts with public events and bring cultural heritage into contemporary spaces.

Shaoxing Opera, also known as shaoju, is a regional opera which originated in Shaoxing, East China's Zhejiang province.

There have been more than 400 shaoju plays over the course of the opera's 400-year history, but it is most widely known for its monkey plays.

China's monkey plays can be categorized by region and include southern and northern styles. The northern style is represented by Peking Opera, while shaoju is the best-known southern style.