China's Ministry of Culture announced Thursday that it will organize a performance gala of Beijing Opera between December 24 and January 10, 2001, which is also a top competition for young opera singers.

China eagerly wants to cultivate a large group of promising young performers to reinvigorate Beijing Opera, which is regarded as one of the nation's outstanding cultural traditions, said Feng Yuan, director of the ministry's Arts Department.

A total of 140 young performers from 22 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions, as well as arts groups from the People's Liberation Army, are scheduled to participate in the performance and competition. Nearly one-tenth of the performers, between 18 and 40 years of age, have been honored with national awards in the field.

They will provide the audience with 26 performances at Chang'an Grand Theater in downtown Beijing. Most of them have learned from well-known artistic schools such as those initiated by masters including Mei Lanfang.

(Xinhua 12/01/2000)