Across China: Young voices carry Tibetan opera's ancient echoes

LHASA, Aug. 12 (Xinhua) -- As the drums rolled, performers wearing blue masks took to the stage, enthralling the audience with powerful vocals and bold dance moves.

This vibrant scene unfolded at a park in Namling County, southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, where classic Tibetan opera performances drew large crowds of locals eager to attend.

Young actress Drolma Yangkyi delivered a great performance as a kind and brave man in a show, which was met with passionate applause from the audience.

"My father performed this role before me, so I kept seeking his advice right until the curtain call," said Drolma Yangkyi, 17. Influenced by her father and grandfather, both Tibetan opera performers, she started learning the traditional art at the age of 6.

Considered a living fossil of Tibetan culture, Tibetan opera blends talking, singing, acting, dancing and literature. It was included in the first batch of China's national intangible cultural heritage list in 2006 and the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2009.

With the government's support and the dedication of both young and old Tibetan opera enthusiasts, along with the efforts of intangible cultural heritage inheritors, this traditional art form is gaining new momentum on the plateau.

Namling County is renowned for its Tibetan opera school, which features blue masks and boasts a history spanning over 600 years.

During the performances at the park, 76-year-old Tsering Dorje, a national-level inheritor of the art, was busy adjusting costumes for the young performers preparing to take the stage.

Tsering Dorje grew up watching Tibetan opera with his elders. The entertainment later became his passion, driving him to act for over 40 years.

He recalled that in the early days, performers faced a lack of talent, funding and opportunities to showcase their skills, and they had limited access to costumes and props.

"Now, with the government and our troupe's efforts, we perform at big events and festivals like the Shoton Festival in the regional capital Lhasa and the Qomolangma Culture Festival in the city of Xigaze," said Tsering Dorje, adding that better conditions made him confident to attract more young apprentices.

Tsering Dorje has trained multiple young Tibetan opera performers, five of whom now lead their own apprentices. After transitioning from the stage to an advisor, he now focuses on passing down the cultural essence of this ancient art.

In recent years, Namling County has set up a children's troupe with an average age of nine. By offering Tibetan opera experience courses and various activities, the art form has been brought into campuses and rural areas. So far, the average age of Tibetan opera inheritors has dropped to under 35, alleviating the aging issue of the performance crew.

A white paper issued in March this year said that Xizang has named 153 part-time Tibetan Opera troupes.

The protection of intangible cultural heritage in Xizang has steadily improved, with 473 million yuan (about 66 million U.S. dollars) from the central and regional governments earmarked from 2012 to 2024 for the protection of intangible cultural heritage items on the national representative list and other related fields, according to the white paper.

Palden Wangchug, head of Xizang's regional Tibetan opera troupe, said audience demand provides enduring momentum for the art form's preservation. "Where there's a market and spectators, Tibetan opera thrives," he said.

Drolma Yangkyi has been a member of the county's Tibetan opera troupe since junior high school, accumulating rich stage experience, which includes performing in Lhasa. Now, she aspires to find a larger platform to showcase her talent.

"I hope to further my Tibetan opera studies and someday showcase our culture beyond the plateau," she said.