The traditional cultural art forms often struggle to resonate with younger generations, but China's latest Yueju Opera production, New Dragon Gate Inn, which was performed by Xiao Bai Hua, one of the most extraordinary Yueju Opera troupes from East China's Zhejiang Province, has turned out to be a phenomenal success. As a result of the innovative adaptation, not only has a traditional art form that certainly deserves more attention been revitalized, but it has enthralled younger audiences, who usually don't go to operas. 
The 31-year-old female performer Chen Lijun has gained a lot of popularity on social media as a result of her cross-dressed role as the eunuch Jia Ting, nicknamed the "Jade-faced Young Lord". A Yueju Opera fever has even been spreading across the internet due to Chen's gorgeous appearance, her elegant air, as well as her skillful performance, and her irresistible chemistry with her partner, Li Yunxiao.
The livestream of the opera in August attracted millions of viewers and sparked heated discussion among users online, earning over 14,000 comments. Videos of Chen and Li's performances, such as a scene in which Chen lifts and spins Li with one hand, went viral on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter.
According to domestic media reports, when tickets for the December performances of New Dragon Gate Inn officially went on sale in mid-November, three of the performances featuring the duo were almost sold out within seconds, while the remaining fourteen performances by other cast members were all sold out within a few minutes of being on sale. Also, the price of tickets on second-hand trading platforms rose to a staggering 6,666 yuan ($942) from the original price of 399 yuan.  
Shengzhou county in Shaoxing, Zhejiang Province is the birthplace of Yueju Opera, which is one of the most popular schools of traditional Chinese opera. Although Yueju Opera dates back to 1852, it is relatively young in comparison to other schools of traditional Chinese opera. The Yueju Opera is similar to the Peking Opera in that it combines classical singing, dancing, and acting into a unique form of storytelling. 
It is not only Chen who performs cross-gender, but the majority of Yueju Opera performers are female, and even the male parts are traditionally played by women, which translates into a distinctively feminine style for the opera. The performance is characterized by a soft, gentle style of singing and graceful movements. 
In spite of this, Yueju Opera has faced dwindling interest from younger audiences just like many classical art forms, until the groundbreaking New Dragon Gate Inn broke the spell, bringing Yueju Opera back into the public eye. 
The novelty of New Dragon Gate Inn is reflected in a number of ways, as it differs from previous Yueju Opera performances. In the first place, the experience is immersive. Rather like Sleep No More, where the theater has been transformed into an inn filled with secret passages, with a stage integrated with the seats of the audience, it is similar to Sleep No More.. By doing so, it redefines the role of the viewer in the storytelling process. During the performance, the audience is given the opportunity to interact with the actors and take part in the scenes, as well as actively participate in the exploration and progression of the plot, creating an engaging and novel experience that resonates with those in attendance.
During the performance, the audience is given the opportunity to interact with the actors and take part in the scenes, as well as actively participate in the exploration and progression of the plot, creating an engaging and novel experience that resonates with those in attendance.
According to Chen, the concept of a stage seems to have disappeared. So does the distance between performers and the audience. It seems that we are all part of the performance together."
In spite of the fact that most of the crew members on the opera are relatively young, including a director who was born after 1985, a playwright born after 1995, a stage designer born after 1990, and several young actors, this opera explores ways of expressing oneself that are in line with the evolution of the times as well as the aesthetics of contemporary young audiences.. It is important that they pay attention to each detail in the story, the costumes, the makeup, the stage lighting, and the stage design to make it more relatable and appealing to younger audiences as well. It was through this strategy that they were able to expand their audience and increase their cultural influence, creating new opportunities for Yueju Opera to grow
It was through this strategy that they were able to expand their audience and increase their cultural influence, creating new opportunities for Yueju Opera to grow
Aside from the bold and innovative adaptation, the marketing approach has also been a new experiment that has proven to be successful in addition to the bold and innovative adaptation. 
As Wang Binmei, director of the Xiao Bai Hua troupe, explained: "New Dragon Gate Inn uses short video platforms to provide barrier-free online viewing in a way that resonates with young people", he said.
New Dragon Gate Inn's success is a sign of a promising future for traditional Chinese art forms. As a result, they are an example of how innovation, when rooted in respect for tradition, can open up new horizons while preserving the art form's essence.
There is no doubt that its success is due to the distinctive aesthetics and charm of traditional Chinese culture, the perseverance of its guardians, as well as the unwavering policy support of governments and organizations throughout the country. 
This opera is directed by Mao Weitao, a Yueju Opera artist and former head of Xiao Bai Hua, who is also a famous Yueju Opera artist. She mentioned that Chen has committed a great deal of time to practicing Yueju Opera. Furthermore, Chen herself admitted that there were times when she felt that it was very difficult for her to continue on, but she never considered giving up.   
According to Chen, opera is etched in the DNA of the Chinese people. As soon as a small stone is cast, the DNA awakens," he said.
New Dragon Gate Inn is recognized as a shining example of how cultural heritage can be both conserved and revitalized. We hope to see more Chinese traditional art forms in need of innovation and vitality in the future, so that they can continue to enchant and inspire future generations.
You can read more about this here: https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202311/1302739.shtml
The Global Times is the source of this information
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