Fans perform at 6th Peking Opera Festival

A Japanese amateur Peking Opera actress is seen backstage before a performance in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, Nov. 4, 2011. Dozens of Peking Opera fans from China and abroad held a show during the ongoing sixth Peking Opera Festival here Friday. The sixth Peking Opera Festival kicked off in Wuhan two days ago as part of the government's efforts to revive the traditional art form. The festival, which covers a wide range of Peking Opera styles, including new versions of ancient operas, modern performances and traditional operas, will bring on the stage 33 shows performed by troupes from all over China. Renowned opera artists such as Mei baojiu, Yu Kuizhi and Shang Changrong will give their performance during the festival. Peking Opera, which combines instrumental music, vocal performances, miming, dancing and acrobatics, was recognized as a form of intangible cultural heritage last year by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Since Peking Opera master Mei Lanfang stages shows in New York in 1930, the 200-year-old art form, touted as the "crown jewel of the Chinese performing arts", has stood out as the mantra of the Chinese culture, mesmerizing tens of thousands of foreign fans. Some of them took lessons from Peking Opera professionals and became amateur Peking Opera performers.