To make their performances more suitable for online audiences, Chen and her colleagues have made changes to the presentation of the art form, so that it can be more interactive. Now, the center organizes livestreams once every two days, with high audience numbers.

The popularity of online performances has brought her new hope of spreading the traditional art form. Before Huagu Opera was brought online, Chen and her colleagues usually performed in rural areas and communities, where the audience generally consists of elderly people.

But statistics from Douyin show online audiences for their performances are mostly in their 30s. "Attention of young people makes us hopeful for the future of Huagu Opera," says Chen.

"The popularity of online performances, and the fact that netizens are relatively young, urge us to consider how the spread of the art form can be achieved through the internet, and how cultural inheritance can catch the eyes of young people surfing online. As long as we use the internet constructively, we can inherit traditional culture in a creative way, and as long as young people follow us, we can develop it in a proactive way," says Wang.

Zhu Youfangin Changsha contributed to this story.