Traditional opera meets digital age

Recently, 21-year-old Zhang Tanhao has been working with a group of young Peking Opera enthusiasts to adapt the 1990s animated series Hulu Xiao Jin Gang (Diamond Brother) into a Peking Opera performance. Created by the Shanghai Animation Film Studio, this cartoon holds nostalgic value for many born in the 1990s and 2000s.

Zhang's journey with Peking Opera began in high school when he developed an interest in gufeng music, a genre that blends traditional Chinese elements with pop music.

"I was drawn to the operatic vocals in these songs, which led me to explore traditional opera," he recalled. "Eventually, just listening wasn't enough — I wanted to sing it myself."