Peking Opera is an age-old Chinese theater that combines music, vocal performance, mime, dance and acrobatics. Recently, it was inscribed by UNESCO as part of the world's intangible cultural heritage. To help promote the art form, industry practitioners of the younger generation are presenting a Peking Opera gala in Beijing.

Students from the Beijing Institute of local Opera and Arts took the stage in turn performing nearly 30 classic arias. They portrayed different types of roles familiar in Peking Opera, namely Sheng, Dan, Jing and Chou. Their artistic exaggeration was recognized by the audience.

Peking Opera reached its pinnacle in the Qing Dynasty and is regarded as one of the cultural treasures of China. The traditional art form has attempted numerous reforms in recent years in an effort to help regain its formal glory.

Meanwhile a celebratory series of Peking Opera performances has kicked off in the capital. A total of 45 Peking Opera shows by art troupes from 26 provinces and regions across the country will be staged in Beijing through January the 20th.