Snuff Bottles, which tells of the miserable life of a skilled craftsman during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), has been performed nearly 400 times and has been watched by around 170,000 people. It has also won the troupe top national opera awards, such as the Wenhua Award and the first Golden Chrysanthemum Award.

"Snuff Bottles was my first directorial work in Quju Opera. On the first day of our rehearsal, I found the style very interesting," says Gu, 80, who is a director with the Beijing People's Art Theatre. "This new show is original and will offer audiences something different from the troupe's other works."

To popularize the old art form among a younger audience, the Beijing Quju Opera Troupe brought the production to Peking University on April 19. The troupe also works with primary schools in the city's Fengtai district to launch open classes.

chennan@chinadaily.com.cn