The year 2026 marks the 215th anniversary of the birth of Cheng Changgeng, the founding master of Peking Opera.
To promote China’s outstanding traditional culture and advance the living transmission of Peking Opera among younger generations, “Into the Hometown of Cheng Changgeng — The 3rd ‘Tianzhushan Cup’ Youth Peking Opera Amateur Competition” will be grandly held in Qianshan, Anhui Province, from July 26 to August 2.
At present, the finalist list has already been officially announced through the competition’s promotional short-video account, and young rising opera talents from across the country are now preparing to gather in Cheng Changgeng’s hometown, where they will study Peking Opera and make friends through competition.

Distinguished Jury

Song Xiaochuan leads the judging panel

This year’s competition features a strong jury lineup composed of experts from national-level opera companies and academic institutions.
Renowned Peking Opera master Song Xiaochuan, a first-class actor of the National Peking Opera Company of China and a leading artist of the Ye School xiaosheng tradition, has been invited to serve as head of the judging panel.

In previous editions of the competition, Song Xiaochuan noted that Cheng Changgeng, who came from Qianshan, was an artist of both great virtue and outstanding skill, honored as the leader of the Huizhou Opera troupes and the founding master of Peking Opera.
He emphasized that holding a youth Peking Opera amateur competition in Cheng Changgeng’s hometown carries great significance for the inheritance and promotion of Peking Opera.
In addition, experts from leading institutions such as the National Peking Opera Company of China, Beijing Peking Opera Theatre, Shanghai Peking Opera Theatre, and Shanghai Theatre Academy will also join the jury to provide on-site scoring and professional commentary.

Young Performers

Singing, recitation, movement, and stagecraft on display

After multiple rounds of online preliminary and semifinal selection, around 150 programs have successfully advanced to the finals.
Contestants come from all across the country and are divided into two categories: the Children’s Group (ages 6–12) and the Youth Group (ages 13–25).

In contestant showcase videos released on the competition’s promotional account, the young performers have already demonstrated their signature talents.
Classic excerpts such as The Fourth Son Visits His Mother and The Drunken Beauty are performed with graceful singing and vivid stage movements, with every gesture and pose reflecting the distinctive charm of Peking Opera.
These previews have only heightened anticipation for the upcoming finals.

Culture and Travel

Tracing roots at Tianzhushan

The competition will take place in Qianshan, Anhui, home to Tianzhushan, a UNESCO Global Geopark and national 5A tourist attraction.
Outside the competition itself, contestants and their families will have the opportunity to climb Tianzhushan, enjoy its magnificent scenery of extraordinary peaks, and experience the rich cultural heritage of a place known as the source of Anhui, the birthplace of Peking Opera, the land of Chan Buddhism, and the hometown of Huangmei culture.

This event is not only a major artistic gathering for young Peking Opera enthusiasts, but also a cultural feast that can be heard, seen, explored, studied, and enjoyed through consumption and experience.
It represents a deep integration of competition, study travel, tourism, and cultural consumption, fully embodying the model of “event + study + travel + experience.”

On July 26, in the hometown of Cheng Changgeng, with renowned masters present and rising young opera talents taking the stage, let us gather among the mountains and waters of Anhui to witness the shining moment of a new generation devoted to China’s national art.