Traditional Yuju Opera faces dilemma

Wang, who is in his 50s, began learning Yuju Opera at 13. Now he is an actor as well as a dresser in the Sujun Yuju Opera Troupe in Henan province. The private opera troupe, established in 1989, had 48 members at the beginning, and now has only 30. They travel in a large van, and the vehicle doubles as the stage. [Photo/IC]

Yuju Opera, one of the five major opera genres in China, is praised as "Oriental aria" and "Chinese opera" by Westerners.

Yuju Opera, originated and thrived in Central China's Henan province, is famous for its intense emotion, lively performance and rich connotation, and reflects the profound cultural foundation of Central China's culture.

However, with the modern era undergoing dramatic changes, the traditional opera faces a dilemma. Though it was listed as a national intangible cultural heritage as early as 2006, the situation is bleak.