Participants dressed in traditional Kunqu costumes perform at a party promoting the Kunqu Opera in Shanghai, on Saturday, May 12, 2007.

Pop singers, fashion gurus, hip-hop performers. You may associate them all with the modern world. However, they can also be linked with old traditions, for example, when some of the modern day stars attended a party promoting Kunqu Opera, the oldest existing form of Chinese opera.

Pop singer Wan Qian, fashion model Hu Dong and hip-hop supernova Tim Wu were among the popular names who shed their modernism, donned Kunqu costumes and immersed themselves in the rich Kunqu culture on Saturday in Shanghai.

The party's organizer claims it was part of the promotion for the upcoming premiere of the Kunqu classic The Palace of Long Life, or Chang Sheng Dian, at the city's Lanxin Theater on May 29. They hope the participation of popular stars will bring the Kunqu culture closer to a modern audience.

The Palace of Long Life reportedly debuted in Chinese theaters 300 years ago. The new version will rally top Kunqu performers.

Kunqu Opera boasts a 600-year history, and has greatly influenced other forms of Chinese opera, including the well-known Peking Opera.

(CRI.cn May 14, 2007)