Chongqing - At Nanpu Theatre near Jiefangbei, a commercial area in Chongqing’s Yuzhong District, experienced Sichuan Opera performers continue to bring one of western China’s most distinctive traditional art forms to the stage.

With performers averaging around 50 years old, the theatre has become a space where decades of artistic experience help preserve Sichuan Opera, an important element of China’s intangible cultural heritage known for its distinctive performance style, music, and storytelling.

The theatre also attracts audiences across generations. While many longtime opera enthusiasts continue to attend performances regularly, younger performers and first-time viewers are increasingly engaging with the art form, reflecting ongoing efforts to keep the tradition relevant in contemporary life.

In one of China’s fastest-changing cities, Nanpu Theatre offers a space where Sichuan Opera continues to be performed, appreciated, and passed on to new generations.

(Mu Dimeng, an intern, also contributed to this article.)