On January 18th, the Sichuan Opera Second Annual Performance and 2025 New Year’s Spring Festival Opera Gala was held at the Chengdu Jinsha Performing Arts Center.

As the curtain rose, 15 outstanding Sichuan opera actors lined up on stage, presenting 15 classic roles from the 300-year history of Sichuan Opera. Later, renowned opera artists such as Zhang Yan, Li Jun, Wu Fenghua, Liu Wenhui, and Yang Changlin performed pieces including Sichuan Opera’s Furonghua Fairy, Peking Opera’s Defending the Pass at Dingjun Mountain, Yue Opera’s Liang Zhu, Henan Opera’s Mu Guiying Takes Command, and Sichuan Opera’s Jiang Wei’s Military Command—showcasing a splendid array of regional operatic arts. Classic traditional Sichuan Opera performances such as The Jade Hairpin, The Beheading of the Nephew to Seek Forgiveness, The Burning Incense, and newly written pieces like The Great World and Chasing the Light were all presented. The one-act operas Asking for Medicine and The Eight Brothers Carrying the Passport at Yumen Pass also made an appearance, along with the first-prize winning pieces The Story of Furou and Dust Settles. Renowned national-style short-video creator Zhu Tiexiong made his debut with a live stage transformation performance, which earned continuous applause from the audience.

The event also presented awards for 26 excellent productions, 5 special contribution awards, 10 annual talent awards, and 11 organizational work awards, showcasing the fruitful results of Sichuan Opera’s revival.

"It shocking," said Russian exchange student Larionova Xeniya, who enjoyed the Chinese opera performance for the first time. She expressed great admiration for the show, especially the face-changing and costume-switching techniques that left a deep impression.

The face-changing and costume-switching performance that amazed the entire audience was presented by special guest Zhu Tiexiong. As a creator of national-style short videos, he is dedicated to promoting traditional culture in ways that appeal to young people. “I hope to create works that foreign friends can understand and appreciate, bringing our excellent culture to the world,” he said. He also plans to promote his video content to overseas audiences through bilingual subtitles and foreign voiceovers, “using the unique perspective of contemporary youth to showcase Chinese civilization to the world.”