Rare operas reach wider audiences online

Popular short video platform Douyin and eight state-owned troupes specializing in rare operas recently launched a five-day event to promote these intangible cultural heritages (ICHs) through livestreams.

The event presented 70 performances of rare opera genres, including Wanbang Opera, Han Diao Guangguang, and Yao Opera, attracting over 64.2 million views and demonstrating the unique appeal of these lesser-known traditional operas.

An increasing number of troupes are turning to short videos and livestreams to promote the innovative inheritance of traditional operas.

As of June 1, 2024, 50 state-owned troupes specializing in rare operas had opened accounts on Douyin, according to a recent report on ICHs issued by the platform. Over the past year, these troupes held 871 livestream performances of rare opera genres on the platform.

The popularity of online performances has injected new vitality into ICH-related art troupes, including those of rare operas.

An artist of the Wanbang Opera troupe of Neixiang county in central China's Henan Province performs in a livestream. (Photo courtesy of the Wanbang protection and inheritance center of Neixiang county)

Records show that over the past year, an average of 53,000 ICH-related livestreams were held on Douyin every day, with each attracting an average of 3,534 viewers.

Wanbang Opera, a traditional local opera in Neixiang county, central China's Henan Province, dates back over 400 years. However, in the 1990s, it was on the verge of extinction.

Back then, performers could only make a living by performing at rural weddings and funerals. To survive, they braved harsh weather to perform in rural areas.

Wu Xinjian, director of the Wanbang protection and inheritance center of Neixiang county, said the performers' dedication to the art form even in challenging conditions ensures the survival of the rare opera.

The center's account on Douyin has garnered 47,000 followers. Aside from presenting performances via short videos and livestreams, it also publishes information to encourage more audiences to enjoy performances in person.

Han Diao Guangguang, a localized style of Qinqiang Opera from northwest China's Shaanxi Province, was on the brink of extinction 10 years ago.

Artists perform Yao Opera during an intangible cultural heritage event. (Photo courtesy of the Yao Opera protection and inheritance center of Yuyao city)

To spread the traditional opera, Li Yazhi, a young actress from the Han Diao Guangguang inheritance and development center of Nanzheng district in Hanzhong city, Shaanxi, opened an account on Douyin in 2022. Li has already amassed over 16,000 followers and accumulated 269,000 likes on the platform. The ancient opera has found more audiences through short videos and livestreams.

Traditional operas can only thrive by attracting more young audiences through innovation. Drawing inspiration from real life helps rare operas reach more young audiences.

Yao Opera is a form of Chinese opera local to Yuyao city in east China's Zhejiang Province. "Currently, Yao Opera maintains its vibrant vitality, which is inseparable from its creative philosophy of keeping pace with the times," said Huang Liming, director of the Yao Opera protection and inheritance center of Yuyao city.

While troupes present performances online, internet platforms have leveraged advantages to facilitate the inheritance and development of rare operas. For instance, Douyin has supported troupes and performers of rare opera genres on a priority basis through various measures.

Short videos and livestreams have boosted the popularity and income of troupes and performers.

Records from Douyin reveal that over 10,000 performers of rare operas saw income growth in a year thanks to tips given by users on the platform. Over the past year, the number of ICH-related livestreamers who received tips soared by 25.63 percent.

An artist performs Han Diao Guangguang, a localized style of Qinqiang Opera. (Photo courtesy of the Han Diao Guangguang inheritance and development center of Nanzheng district)

According to Li Biao, deputy head of the School of Journalism and Communication at Renmin University of China, tips given to livestreamers serve as a form of compensation for traditional and rare art categories. Li believes that livestreams help revitalize rare opera genres and contributes to their diversified development.