Two students learn Lu Opera posture in Dongying city, Shandong province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Shandong Lu Opera, from Dongying city, is one of China’s eight major opera genres, together with Yue Opera and Huangmei Opera. It was on the list of national intangible cultural heritage in 2008 for its reputation and deep influence.

By the end of the 20th century, Lu Opera lost many fans as cinemas and TV programs gained popularity. People realized the importance of traditional culture and Lu Opera got more attention.

Many schools of Dongying city teach Lu Opera and invite masters to teach students, gradually forming a comprehensive training system.

Wang Lingling, a teacher of Lu Opera said that the most important thing to promote Lu Opera is professional training. She has been devoted to developing and promoting the heritage, and trained more than 1,000 students over a dozen years.