"The production has been staged around the country for more than 30 shows since it was restaged last summer. The two new leading actors learned with the actor and actress from the original version, which guaranteed the authenticity and loyalty to the original version," says Luo.

"The first city we toured with Rickshaw Boy in 1998 was Beijing when we came to the capital to attend the China Peking Opera Art Festival. The feedback was warm and encouraging, which was a great achievement for us. It's not easy for a Peking Opera troupe from southern China to put on a Peking Opera work telling a Beijing story," says Chen, 73. "I can still remember that back in 1998, I spent a very long time learning to pull the rickshaw. It's more than just a vehicle but the whole life and spiritual support of the role, Xiangzi."

He notes that the rickshaw used in the new version was the original vehicle that the staff members of the props department made back in 1998.

Rickshaw Boy opened the ongoing performances launched by the China National Peking Opera Company, bringing classic and contemporary Peking Opera productions by Peking Opera companies from around the country.

Besides the Peking Opera Theatre of Jiangsu Performing Arts Group and its Rickshaw Boy, other highlights will include The Jewelry Purse, a classic piece by the Jingju Theatre Company of Beijing, and Cao Cao and Yang Xiu by Shanghai Jingju Theatre Company.

Peking Opera, or jingju, has a history of more than 200 years and was recognized as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2010.