OVC primary school club preserves Chinese opera culture

At No 5 Primary School in the Wuhan East Lake High-tech Development Zone (Optics Valley of China, or OVC), an enthusiastic group of youngsters passionately engage in the art of traditional Chinese opera.

Their performances have won the admiration of teachers and students within the school and garnered accolades at various significant events.

The club's students perform Peking Opera. [Photo/WeChat account of Optics Valley of China]

Since its establishment in 2014, the school's opera club has provided a platform for numerous students interested in learning about opera to study and showcase their talents.

The school actively collaborates with teachers from the Hubei's Peking Opera house and the province's art schools to expose students to professional opera culture. They also invite experienced national-level actors to conduct workshops for the students.

A teacher carefully guides the young performers. [Photo/WeChat account of Optics Valley of China]

In 2018, OVC's No 5 Primary School was recognized as one of Wuhan's first model schools to integrate opera, with Peking Opera as the main project. The school currently has two opera club classes, with a tiered structure of 25 students each in the lower and middle-upper grades.

At the start of this year's fall semester, the opera club's spots were quickly filled by eager students. It is reported that the school's music curriculum includes opera lessons every two weeks, and music teachers provide Peking Opera training during extracurricular time. Nearly one-third of the school's students possess a basic knowledge of Peking Opera.

Students queue for makeup. [Photo/WeChat account of Optics Valley of China]

"Since I started learning opera, my artistic sense has greatly improved, and practicing helps me stay fit. Through opera, I've also learned many historical stories I didn't know before. I absolutely love it and want to continue learning!" said an enthusiastic student from the opera class, expressing his determination to pursue this passion.