Luoluoqiang Opera shines with new splendor as intangible cultural heritage

The Luoluoqiang Opera Troupe gives performances in Lingqiu county, Shanxi province. [Photo/Shanxi news network]

Luoluoqiang Opera in North China's Shanxi province is an ancient theatrical genre that can be traced back to the late Ming ((1368-1644) and early Qing (1644-1911) dynasties.

It evolved from Yiyang Opera in the Jiangnan region, and absorbed elements from palace music, social opera styles, and folk tunes. It features a complete set of traditional opera elements such as sheng (male roles), dan (female roles), jing (painted face roles), mo (comic roles), and chou (clown roles). After several ups and downs, it was only preserved in Lingqiu and its surrounding areas in northern Shanxi.

A team practices for a Luoluoqiang Opera performance. [Photo/Shanxi news network]

In 1958, Lingqiu county gathered elderly inheritors to revive and pass on this endangered ancient genre, leading to the establishment of the "Lingqiu County Luoluoqiang Opera Troupe". In June 2006, Lingqiu Luoluoqiang Opera was included in the National Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection List. Currently, the Luoluoqiang Opera Troupe in Lingqiu county is the only professional troupe dedicated to Luoluoqiang Opera in the country.

In recent years, the Luoluoqiang Opera Troupe has focused on both preserving and innovating this traditional art form. Besides creating a series of new works, it has also emphasized talent succession and training, nurturing over 300 artists so far. The youthful vigor of the troupe has brought new hope to this intangible cultural heritage.