The China National Peking Opera Company gave its debut performance on Wednesday night to an audience of 1,000 people that included top political advisor Jia Qinglin.

Jia, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), watched the show to celebrate the official opening of the company at Meilanfang Grand Theater, the newly built theater in Beijing's Xicheng District named after late Peking Opera master Mei Lanfang.

The China Peking Opera Company, founded in 1955, was renamed the China National Peking Opera Company in June this year.
 
(CRI November 29, 2007)