Chinese leaders watch traditional operas for new year

Top Chinese leaders watched a New Year gala featuring traditional operas on Friday evening in Beijing.

Chinese leaders watch traditional operas for new year [Photo: Xinhua]

Leaders of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the state, Xi Jinping, Li Keqiang, Zhang Dejiang, Yu Zhengsheng, Zhang Gaoli, Li Zhanshu, Wang Yang, Wang Huning, Zhao Leji and Han Zheng, joined an audience of nearly a thousand at the National Center for the Performing Arts.

The show featured various forms of traditional operas, including Kunqu Opera and Peking Opera.

There are literally hundreds of forms of local Chinese operas, of which Peking Opera is the most popular. Peking Opera and Kunqu Opera are listed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as intangible cultural heritage. 

The program on Friday night included classic opera excerpts featuring historical stories and martial heroes, as well as modern excerpts featuring stalwart CPC members, life in small towns, among others.