The plight of endangered operas took center stage at Zhanjiang Theatre in western Guangdong province from Nov 15 to 17, with 13 operas troupes performing 24 original plays.

An opera is staged at Zhanjiang Theatre on Nov 15 as part of a provincial-level opera promotion in Guangdong. [Photo by Chen Guanghao/zjphoto.yinsha.com]

Some 1,200 people were in the audience over the three nights, to watch famous masters and budding newcomers perform Cantonese and Leizhou operas.

The Leizhou Opera, Sha Miao, which originates in western Guangdong's Zhanjiang, drew praise from the audience for its touching story and enchanting music. [Photo by Chen Guanghao/zjphoto.yinsha.com]

The event, attended by several prominent government officials, also featured an exchange platform where opera scholars probe into ways of preserving this important cultural asset.

Performers from Maoming in western Guandong play soldiers going to war in ancient times. [Photo by Chen Guanghao/zjphoto.yinsha.com]

The shows form part of a performance tour sponsored by Guangdong's Department of Culture, aimed at spreading local opera culture across the province.

Over the course of the entire tour, 46 troupes have performed 10 different styles of opera throughout the province.

Luo Shui Xiang Hui, a typical Cantonese Opera performed by artists from Zhaoqing, tells the story of Cao Zhi, the son of a power leader in the Eastern Han Dynasty (25–220 AD) and Zhen Yuchan. [Photo by Chen Guanghao/zjphoto.yinsha.com]