Huangmei Opera classic comes to Beijing

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The traditional opera season for the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China has seen another classic. The Huangmei Opera "The Fairy and Her Mortal Lover" was staged at the Mei Lanfang Grand Theater in Beijing.

This is Huangmei Opera's most popular production. From south to north, from young or old, many Chinese can sing along with many tunes from “The Fairy and her Mortal Lover.”

A favorite for over five decades, it has the distinction of being the only Huangmei Opera that is known so well.

The performance in Beijing shows its popularity hasn't waned. The artists from the Anhui Provincial Huangmei Opera Theater gave it their best in anticipation of the country's 60th National Day.

Unlike most traditional operas, which are sung in hard-to-understand dialects, Huangmei is easy to follow. The lyrics are a mixture of northern and southern dialects, and very close to standard Chinese. This is largely due to the location of its birthplace. Anhui Province lies between the country's north and south.