On the evening of July 26, 2026, as the lights came on, a large crowd gathered before the main stage in the Xuehuli Historic and Cultural District of Qianshan City, amid the resonant beat of gongs and drums. The opening ceremony of the “Tianzhushan Cup” 3rd Youth Peking Opera Fan Competition was held in grand style. Renowned Peking Opera artists, young amateur performers, cultural scholars, and local residents from across the country gathered in the hometown of Cheng Changgeng to witness the vibrant emergence of a new generation of Peking Opera voices.

Renowned Guests Gather

The opening ceremony featured an impressive lineup of distinguished guests. Han Zaifen—Vice Chair of the Anhui Federation of Literary and Art Circles, Chair of the Anhui Dramatists Association, President of the Anhui Cheng Changgeng Research Association, and a renowned Huangmei Opera performer—attended the event. Other guests included Wang Danhong, Standing Committee Member of the Anhui Provincial People’s Congress, Vice Chair of the Anhui Dramatists Association, and a celebrated Huiju Opera artist; and Zhao Chungang, Chair of the Anhui Beijing Opera Art Exchange Center.

Seven renowned artists from organizations including the National Peking Opera Company, Shanghai Theatre Academy, Beijing Peking Opera Theatre, and Shanghai Peking Opera Theatre formed the judging panel, chaired by Song Xiaochuan, a leading performer of the Ye-style school of Peking Opera.

Leaders of Qianshan’s four major local governing bodies and officials from relevant departments also attended, reflecting the city’s strong commitment to preserving and promoting Peking Opera culture. Cultural scholars, including Zheng Yangui, a part-time professor at Anqing Normal University and a researcher at the Anhui Historical and Cultural Research Center, were present as well, adding academic depth to the event.

Young Performers Take the Stage

The ceremony opened with “Anhui Melodies and Operatic Rhythms,” a children’s Huangmei Opera medley performed by young trainees from the training center of the Qianshan Huangmei Opera Troupe. Though youthful in voice, the performers displayed remarkable charm and artistry, reflecting the deep operatic heritage of this “hometown of traditional opera.”

Young Peking Opera enthusiasts aged 6 to 13 from Hefei, Huainan, Shenzhen, Hangzhou, Wuhan, and other cities then took the stage in succession. They performed classic excerpts including Taking Tiger Mountain by Strategy, Hu Family Village, Dingjun Mountain, Xu Ce Runs Through the City, and The Matchmaker.

Six-year-old Zhang Yuntong gave a spirited performance of Taking Tiger Mountain by Strategy, impressing the audience with poised singing, recitation, movement, and martial technique. Seven-year-old contestant Luo Zizhen from Shenzhen performed Dingjun Mountain in the laosheng role style, displaying a steady and commanding vocal delivery that drew praise for the promise of such a young performer. The finale featured Zhang Kai, a National First-Class Performer with the Anhui Huiju and Peking Opera Theatre, who performed Cheng Changgeng in tribute to the founding master of Peking Opera and brought the atmosphere to its peak.

Hometown of Cheng Changgeng

Qianshan is the hometown of Cheng Changgeng, widely regarded as a founding master of Peking Opera, and has a profound tradition of Chinese opera. With the theme “Into the Hometown of Cheng Changgeng,” the competition aims to carry forward the art of Peking Opera and promote Cheng Changgeng’s artistic spirit through performances and competition by young amateur enthusiasts.

During the event, promotional videos for Tianzhushan and the competition were screened, presenting Qianshan’s distinctive appeal—where mountains and waters meet traditional opera—to audiences nationwide. After the organizing committee announced the competition rules, Song Xiaochuan, Chair of the Judging Panel, said: “These children are the future of Peking Opera. Their wonderful performances show us real hope for the inheritance of this national art form.”

Guests and local leaders then jointly launched the opening ceremony, marking the official start of the competition.

Culture and Tourism

Jointly hosted by the Qianshan Municipal People’s Government, the Tianzhushan Administrative Committee, and other organizations, this event is an important part of the “Tianzhushan Cup” cultural competition series. In recent years, Qianshan has drawn on the legacy of Cheng Changgeng’s hometown and the natural heritage of Tianzhushan to build a distinctive cultural tourism brand through the integration of traditional opera and tourism.

The Youth Peking Opera Fan Competition provides a stage for young amateur performers from across China while serving as a window for presenting Qianshan’s cultural identity and advancing the integration of culture and tourism. As the Peking Opera medley “New Voices of the Opera World” echoed through the ancient street, young performers from the Huainan Little Lark Children’s Peking Opera Troupe sang together, their clear voices carrying into the night sky—seemingly in dialogue with Cheng Changgeng across more than a century. The seeds of this national art form are quietly taking root and flourishing in his hometown.