Five Gen Z girls from Shanghai Theater Academy have recently gone viral on the Internet with their short videos performed at Peking Opera, setting off a trendy passion for opera nationwide. The students, Yang Xi, Bian Jingting, Zhu Huan, Cheng Xiaochen, and Zhu Jiayin, are all from the school of Chinese Opera and live in the No. 416 dormitory, so they are also dubbed "416 Girls" by netizens.

At first, the "416 Girls" began to practice Peking opera on the live streaming platform as a part of their graduation works. They would take every minute available to practice at various places, from playground to dormitory. To better fit the songs and the rhythm of opera, they would also dress in traditional Chinese clothes such as cheongsam, Hanfu, and opera costumes.

The girls have been posting videos of daily practice and singing on social media. Sometimes, they also display costumes, makeup, and gestures to allow netizens to study the details of Peking Opera. Their Peking Opera-related videos have accumulated more than 20 million likes. In particular, the song "Tan Chuang 探窗 (Looking through the Windows)" has made more than 50 million views and 2.5 million likes on social media platforms.

When learning opera, there are always hardships along the way. Zhu Huan, one of the team members, said that she had suffered a serious back injury due to a technical error, resulting in 26-degree scoliosis of the spine. The doctor and her family advised her to give up on practicing, but she persisted.

The most fulfilling moment for the 416 Girls is that after watching their videos, many followers take the initiative to search and learn about Peking Opera and even want to learn Peking Opera. "As more and more people like opera, we are very happy and satisfied about what we are doing," said the team.