Rarely performed Kunqu Opera staged in Beijing

Kunqu Opera is one of the oldest forms of opera still existing in China, originally dating back to the Yuan Dynasty. Recently, a rarely performed Kunqu Opera "The Follow-up Story of Pipa", or "Xu Pipa" in Chinese, was staged at the Chang'an Grand Theatre in Beijing. This classic Kunqu Opera has been lost for nearly 300 years. It was created by Cao Yin, the grandfather of Qing Dynasty writer Cao Xueqin, best known as the author of "A Dream of Red Mansions." Experts say that bringing back this classic means a lot in Kunqu Opera circles. Experts and scholars from the National Academy of Chinese Theatre Arts and the Northern Kunqu Opera Theatre recently held a seminar in Beijing, to study its value and future development.