Eighty-nine-year-old Peking opera master Wang Jinlu performs at a
charity show in Beijing, a fundraiser for snow-stricken people in
southern China, on Tuesday, February 12, 2008.
Three retired octogenarian Peking opera stars returned to the
stage for a charity show at Mei Lanfang Grand Theater in Beijing on
Tuesday, raising 550,000 yuan (US$76,450) for China's snow-stricken
areas.
Eighty-nine-year-old Wang Jinlu, Li Huifang, 85, and Jing
Rongqing, 83, played opera excerpts, winning applause from the
audience.
Forty other Peking opera stars mainly from the National Peking
Opera Theater also performed.
Philanthropist Li Chunping donated 300,000 yuan (US$41,700) at
the theater and well-known calligrapher Ouyang Zhongshi donated one
of his works to be auctioned at a later date.
Some actors and actresses from National Peking Opera Theater who
were absent also donated generously.
All the income from the charity show will be donated directly to
the weather-stricken areas through the Ministry of Culture.
People from all circles of Chinese society had donated a total
of 1.16 billion yuan to the areas stricken by snow and rain havoc
by Sunday, according to the Ministry of Civil Affairs.
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(Xinhua News Agency February 13, 2008)
