This opera was a great sensation nationwide in the 1950s, when it was staged by the Zhejiang Kunqu Opera Art Theater. In fact, the art of Kunqu Opera was then on the brink of extinction, with a shrinking market and few artists to carry it on.

It was the staging of the play Fifteen Strings of Coins that aroused keen concern about the rescue and preservation of this traditional art. It also evoked a resurgence of interest in Kunqu Opera, and led to its growing prosperity in later years. Last year, UNESCO listed Kunqu as one of the 19 masterpieces of mankind’s oral and intangible heritage.

Kunqu is China's oldest traditional opera form. Originally developed in the 16th century, in present-day Jiangsu Province, Kunqu rapidly spread throughout the country. Over time, it exerted a strong influence on many other forms of local opera, and is considered to be the forefather of over 300 local operas in the country, including the internationally known Peking Opera.

Most of the repertoire of Kunqu Opera is derived from stories in a wide variety of classical literary works. Its best known works include The Peach Blossom Fan, Peony Pavilion and Snowfall in June.

With its distinctive artistic beauty, Kunqu is regarded as one of the most elegant and refined of China's classical art forms. Its beautiful melodies, graceful acting style and poetic lyrics have captured audiences for centuries.

There are now two major schools of Kunqu Opera, Southern Kunqu, which is prevalent in south China's Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces, and Northern Kunqu, more popular throughout north China.

The Zhejiang Kunqu Opera Art Theater, which was acclaimed for saving this art genre by a single play over four decades ago, is considered to be one of the best of its kind in the country.

Thirty-nine-year-old Lin Weilin, vice-director of the troupe, is one of the most famous Kunqu artists playing the martial roles. Every day he practices for at least two hours.

"I've been an active and restless person since childhood, and adore heroes. That's why I chose to play martial roles when I began studying Kunqu. I have played a large number of ancient heroes. Kunqu is such an enchanting art form. The more you learn about it, the more fascinated you become. Of course, it's by no means easy to be a good performer. You have to practice hard every day. But I enjoy it so much that all the hardship seems nothing to me."

To increase the popularity of Kunqu among young people, Lin Weilin often leads his troupe to universities to give free performances for the students. These efforts have helped cultivate a large number of young Kunqu fans on China’s campuses.

The troupe has also established a high reputation in Taiwan and Hong Kong for its excellent performances. It's invited to perform in those places almost every year, always playing to a full house and receiving great public acclaim.

"Our performances always enjoy a huge popularity with the local people. Each time when we finish a performance, there is curtain call after curtain call, and the audience goes on applauding for ages. At such moments I feel so proud of being a Kunqu performer."

The Zhejiang Kunqu Opera Art Theater is now preparing for grand performances to mark the first anniversary of UNESCO's designating it a masterpiece of mankind’s art heritage.

Lin Weilin says this recognition has brought this very special opera form into the world spotlight. Even so, when compared with other modern forms of entertainment, the opera's audience is somewhat limited at present. But, with the concerted efforts of all Kunqu aficionados, Lin Weilin is confident that Kunqu will continue to grow in prosperity and popularity.

(cri.com.cn July 2, 2002)