A farmer has injected large sums of money to revive "Weizhou
Bangzi," a form of local opera that originates from Weixian County,
in north China's
Hebei
Province.
Yang Jianwen, a native of Weixian County who has made money in the
past years by running a hotel, was determined to boost the
traditional local opera that is almost extinct due to insufficient
training of young singers.
"Weizhou Bangzi has a history of over 300 years," said Yang. "It's
an important part of the local farmers' cultural lives."
However, the government-run Weizhou Bangzi troupe, having long
suffered from huge deficits, was closed in 1987, when most singers
shifted to a local coal mine to earn a living.
To
help the once popular opera survive, Yang founded a training center
last October for local teenagers. Retired singers from the former
troupe were recruited as teachers.
Yang's own house is now used to accommodate the students, where
they practice basic skills, including singing, dancing and martial
arts. Yang and his family, however, rent a room elsewhere.
To
date, Yang has poured some 300,000 yuan (about US$36,145) into the
training center. "We now have 30 students, 11 of whom are from poor
families and are exempted from the 1,200-yuan (about US$145)
tuition," he said.
"But they are all working hard," he added. "Hopefully, they will be
able to give performances in a year or two, when their incomes will
cover their expenses and wages.”
(Xinhua News
Agency 09/24/2001)