Over 60 percent of respondents to an online survey have voiced support for making Peking Opera, a unique national cultural treasure, compulsory in China's primary and middle schools.

The survey, by the mass-circulation China Youth Daily and one of the country's major Internet portals Tencent, found 60.7 percent of people supported the motion, while only 24.9 percent were against it.

The result indicated that "promoting traditional culture and passing down the national treasure has become a social consensus," China Youth Daily said Monday.

The Education Ministry decided in February to start a pilot project of adding Peking Opera into music courses for primary and secondary schools in 10 provinces and municipalities, as part of the efforts to reignite traditional culture.

The project, slated for March to July, added 15 pieces of Peking Opera, including both classical and modern ones, into music courses for students.

The news, however, has aroused great controversy, with some saying that untrained teachers and forced instruction might put off students.

In an earlier opinion poll by China's leading web portal Sina.com, of over 21,000 respondents, only 27 percent believe setting up the course will help promote traditional Chinese culture.

Nearly 38 percent think the course should not be compulsory as students' choices should be respected, and the remaining 35 percent propose different regional operas be taught in different areas since China boasts a huge reservoir of local operas.

The ministry soon made a clarification, saying the new Peking Opera curriculum for schools is not compulsory, but is designed as a promotional course to help students better appreciate Chinese culture.

"The opera classes are by no means a nationwide compulsory class, but pilot programs implemented in certain schools from March to July next year," ministry spokesman Wang Xuming has said.

Wang said the program was still under trial and the ministry would solicit opinions from all circles.

Peking Opera, with a history of more than 200 years, is a synthesis of music, dance, art and acrobatics and is widely regarded as a symbolic expression of Chinese culture.

(Xinhua News Agency, March 18, 2008)