Some 765 art troupes in east China's Fujian Province stage an average of 165,000 performances every year, attracting over 100 million spectators.

The province's art troupes, which ranking first in China in terms of numbers, employ more than 20,000 professional artists and earn a total ticket income of 400 million yuan (US$ 50 million) per year.

According to Lin Ruiwu, a senior official with the Fujian provincial art research center, the 765 art troupes feature a variety of local Fujian operas such as Gaojia Opera, Puxian Opera, Chaoju Opera as well as abundant exotic operas such as Huangmei Opera based in Anhui Province and Yueju Opera based in Zhejiang Province.

"The performances of the art troupes are warmly welcomed by local residents, especially in rural areas," Lin said, adding that the flourishing art activities will also help the province develop cultural industry and attract more tourists.

(Xinhua News Agency January 17, 2006)