Mainland college students present Kunqu classic 'The Peony Pavilion' in Taipei

Among the youngest generation of performers, Fan Yupeng plays the male protagonist, Liu Mengmei, in one segment. He believes they can bring a fresh perspective to the century-old classic.

"We live in a different era from 20 years ago, shaped by broader cultural exchange and influences, so we can present the characters to audiences in a different way," said Fan, who is a graduate student of pharmaceutical sciences from Beijing.

"I also hope that we can exchange with our peers in Taiwan through the art of Kunqu and encourage one another to work together to preserve our traditional culture," he said.

Yu Jiulin and Shen Fengying, both of whom were leading cast members of the youth version in 2004, served as art directors for the campus edition.

Yu remembers his first performance as Liu Mengmei in the youth version's Taipei premiere. "We had always heard that Kunqu audiences in Taiwan were the most discerning, so performing here back then felt like a test," he said. "The audiences in Taipei truly appreciated the show -- they knew exactly when to respond and some people even brought copies of the original script to the theater."

Behind these moments, the actors believe, lies a shared appreciation for Chinese culture rooted in people in both the mainland and Taiwan.

"We would take multiple curtain calls after each performance in Taiwan, through which we could feel the audience's recognition of our work," said Shen, who played the female protagonist, Du Liniang.

"Through traditional Chinese culture, the two sides of the Taiwan Strait are closely connected," she said. "As Kunqu actors, we are a bridge of cultural transmission -- whether through pure performances 20 years ago, or through performing and teaching today."