In China, ancestral halls were built to worship those who have gone before us. But many are now seeing changes, and are being transformed into cultural centres that benefit the local people.
 
This ancestral hall in Zhuji City of Zhejiang Province has been reborn as a cultural centre.

It's now staging Yueju Opera, which originated in Shengzhou County in Shaoxing, Zhejiang Province. In the context of traditional opera, it dates back to 1852, during the Qing Dynasty.

Yueju Opera remains popular in Zhejiang and Jiangsu provinces, as well as in Shanghai. Like Peking Opera, Yueju combines classical singing, dancing and acting into one form.

The audience here is thrilled by the performance.

"It's great to appreciate the traditional tunes on our doorstep. And there are a varity of activities here every month. We can watch movies, play ping-pong etc. Everyone is happy!" said audience.

There are many such ancestral hall-turned cultural centres in the villages of Zhiji City. The original structure of the buildings is kept as it was after renovation. Various cultural activities are held. This exhibition of traditional culture draws in a lot of primary school students.

"We used to worship our ancestors here, so the atmosphere here is geat. I learned a lot about our traditional culture and came to understand the meaning of it," said student.