Chongqing — A folk opera that originated from farmers’ songs in rice fields more than five centuries ago has reached a new milestone, with Liangshan Lantern Opera selected for The China Opera Audiovisual Project, a national initiative to preserve China’s traditional performing arts through professional recordings.

A performance of Liangshan Lantern Opera. (Photo/Interviewee)

Three Liangshan Lantern Opera productions — The Sound of Singing (Gesheng Liaoliang), Delivering Intelligence (Zhisong Qingbao) and Marking the Boat to Find the Sword (Kezhou Qiujian) — were professionally recorded in July by a production team from the Wuhan Base of The China Opera Audiovisual Project.

The recordings mark an important step in preserving an art form that has developed from local rural performances into a nationally recognized form of intangible cultural heritage.

The China Opera Audiovisual Project is guided by the Publicity Department of CPC Central Committee and organized by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. The project creates high-quality audiovisual records of representative opera productions to preserve traditional Chinese opera.

Liangshan Lantern Opera traces its origins to the Zhengde period of the Ming Dynasty (1506–1521), when farmers in Liangping sang work songs while transplanting rice seedlings. Over time, these songs combined with lantern dance traditions and folk storytelling, forming a distinctive opera style known for lively movements, humorous performances and close connections to everyday life.

The opera was included in China’s first national list of intangible cultural heritage items in 2006.

For generations, performers have preserved the opera’s unique artistic features, including expressive movements, vivid characters and a strong connection to ordinary people’s lives. Comic roles have traditionally been central to performances, bringing humor and warmth to the stage.

The latest national recording project brought further recognition to the centuries-old art form.

In March, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism announced the productions selected for the 2025–2026 edition of The China Opera Audiovisual Project. All three Liangshan Lantern Opera works submitted by Liangping were selected, a rare achievement for a county-level opera genre.

Ahead of filming, the Liangping District Cultural Center upgraded its rehearsal venue to meet professional recording requirements. Reflective flooring was replaced, equipment was adjusted and other improvements were made to ensure high-quality filming conditions.

On July 24, a 21-member production team arrived in Liangping with professional recording equipment. Over two days, the team completed recordings of the three productions using production standards comparable to film recording.

For veteran performers, the project represents decades of dedication.

Que Taichun, 76, a national-level representative inheritor of Liangshan Lantern Opera, began learning the art from his father at the age of 4 and performed on stage for the first time at 14. Over more than six decades, he has portrayed hundreds of roles and devoted his life to passing on the tradition.

Peng Xuelian, 62, and Chen Shangzhong, 68, also spent weeks refining their performances before the recording. Although they had performed the productions many times, they continued improving every movement, expression and vocal detail to meet the standards of a national archival project.

“The opera is meant to be seen and remembered by more people,” Que said. “It is not meant to stay locked away in a cabinet.”

However, preserving the tradition remains a challenge. Local cultural workers say it takes years to train performers, vocal designers and percussion musicians, while a shortage of young talent has made it difficult to build a sustainable succession system.

Students watch a performance of Liangshan Lantern Opera at a school. (Photo/Interviewee)

To encourage younger generations to learn the art, Liangping has introduced Liangshan Lantern Opera into schools. Student performances have received recognition at the China Children’s Opera "Little Plum Blossom" event, and five schools have been designated as National Schools for the Inheritance of Outstanding Traditional Chinese Culture.

In 2017, the Liangshan Lantern Opera Troupe resumed operations and partnered with Chongqing Liangping Vocational Education Center to develop teaching materials and train future performers. Veteran inheritors continue to teach students and mentor young artists.

From rice fields to the national stage, Liangshan Lantern Opera has survived more than 500 years of change. Its inclusion in The China Opera Audiovisual Project preserves a record of its history while creating new opportunities for the traditional art form to reach wider audiences.