Oldest Form of Chinese Opera Flourishing

Performers of the Puxian opera, one of the oldest forms of Chinese opera, dress up for the performance at Haixing Village, Putian City, southeast China's Fujian Province, Aug. 19, 2010. More efforts are engaged of the city these years in researching and preserving Puxian opera, which originated from puppet shows, is listed as a national intangible cultural heritage item. There are three Puxian opera professional troupes and 129 private troupes in Putian, with 3,500 people presenting performances for the local people year-round.