Chongqing - As China prepares for its annual Two Sessions political meetings in Beijing on March 5, Zhou Li, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and Deputy Director of the Chongqing Peking Opera Company, is urging stronger digital support to help Jingju, widely known as Peking opera, reach broader audiences, including international tourists visiting China.

Zhou Li, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and Deputy Director of the Chongqing Peking Opera Company. (Photo/Shi Tao)

Ahead of the Chinese New Year performance season, Zhou coached young performer Han Linxi in a Chongqing rehearsal hall during a scene from the classic opera Farewell My Concubine. "Pay attention to my eyes," she told the actor, explaining that Yu Ji, a loyal concubine who chooses to sacrifice herself for Xiang Yu, must show both composure in the face of death and deep attachment to life. 

Zhou said Peking opera training has traditionally relied on in-person instruction, prompting her to explore ways to make high-quality opera education more accessible. Her suggestion for the Two Sessions focuses on using digital tools to ease shortages of teaching resources and broaden access to opera training. 

She also noted that the National Academy of Chinese Theatre Arts has launched an opera education program, calling it a positive sign of growing attention to preserving traditional opera. However, she said the curriculum mainly emphasizes theoretical knowledge and educational psychology, while training in how to popularize Peking opera remains insufficient.

In response, Zhou said she hopes to use digital tools to preserve performances and teaching in digital form, easing shortages of training materials and expanding access.

In an interview with Bridging News before leaving for Beijing, Zhou connected Peking opera outreach to Chongqing's expanding role as an international tourism destination. The theatre is located at the Kuixinglou Plaza, near a well-known tourist spot, and is called a window for tourists from across the country and even the world.

The Kuixinglou Plaza in Chongqing. (Photo/Chongqing Release)

Zhou said the troupe is planning a resident tourism performance at that platform that combines intangible cultural heritage experiences, immersive viewing, makeup photography, and on-site interaction. The goal, she said, is to bring traditional Peking opera to more people, reduce the distance between opera and audiences, and help foreign visitors feel the charm of our traditional culture.

She added that she hopes international tourists can engage in a relaxed way, whether they already understand Peking opera or are encountering it for the first time, through an interactive format designed around sightseeing patterns at popular attractions.