There's a Chinese saying that goes "One minute on stage takes ten years of practice off stage." These students learning Shangdang Bangzi, or Shangdang wooden clapper opera, at a vocational school in Gaoping City, Jincheng, Shanxi Province, must practice the basics every day to continuously improve their skills.

Shangdang Bangzi is the most important local traditional opera form in Jincheng and one of the four major wooden clapper operas in Shanxi. With a history of some 400 years, this art form was listed as a national intangible cultural heritage in 2006.