A new generation of performers is taking China's traditional opera beyond the theater to social media, reaching young audiences and breathing fresh life into an art form refined over centuries.
For young Peking Opera performer Qi Zilu, social media has become another stage -- there are no curtains, no packed theater -- just a camera, a screen, and an audience watching from their phones.
"I started livestreaming in 2020. Peking Opera belongs on stage, but social media helps us reach people who might never enter a theater. As a young performer, I want to use every platform possible to bring this traditional art to a new generation," said Qi.
On stage, the rules of Peking Opera have been refined over generations. While online, the rules are different.
Videos are shorter. Audiences scroll quickly. And performers have only seconds to make someone stop and watch.
But that may also be part of the appeal. Sometimes, a few seconds on a phone can lead to somewhere else entirely.
Qi says some followers who first discovered Peking Opera through his videos have gone on to experience it where it began -- inside the theater.
"One of my followers was born after 2000. He discovered traditional opera through my livestreams and became fascinated by the costumes and makeup. Today, he's not only an opera fan -- he's actually become a professional makeup artist," she said.
But reaching a new audience also raises an old question: how far can tradition change before it becomes something else?
For Qi, the format can evolve. The fundamentals cannot.
"On social media, you have just three seconds to capture someone's attention. So the pace can change, and the format can change. But the fundamentals of traditional Chinese opera must never change," said the young artist.
For a generation used to discovering the world one swipe at a time, Peking Opera may no longer begin with a ticket to the theater. It might begin with a video on a phone.
The stage may be changing, while the art, Qi hopes, will keep people watching long after they scroll past.
Social media brings China's traditional opera to young audiences
