Among various Chinese opera styles, there is one that has a history of over 600 years, nearly as long as Kunqu – widely regarded as the foundational form of Chinese opera and honored as the "teacher of the hundred operas." This is Xiang Opera. However, despite its deep historical roots, Xiang Opera remains relatively unfamiliar to modern general audiences.

Xiang Opera originated in central China's Hunan Province during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). It emerged from the introduction of Yiyang Qiang, a regional singing style from east China's Jiangxi Province, which was gradually incorporated into the local dialect and folk music. Over time, it absorbed singing styles from other opera forms, including Kunqu and Pihuang – one of the foundations of Peking Opera, evolving into a distinctive art form of its own.

It consists of four genres of tunes: Gaoqiang (high-pitched), Dipaizi (low-pitched), Kunqiang (Kunqu Opera-style), and Tanqiang (string-accompanied narrative singing). Among the four, Gaoqiang is the most distinctive, characterized by a call-and-response style in which one lead performer begins singing and the rest of the ensemble joins in chorus.

Xiang Opera's classical works, such as "Princess Baihua Bestows Her Sword" and "The Tale of Praying to the Moon," are representative plays of the Gaoqiang style. The former tells the story of Princess Baihua, who fell in love with a young man and gave him her sword as a promise of love, only to discover he was a spy whose betrayal led to the defeat of her father's army. The latter describes how the scholar Jiang Shilong met the minister's daughter Wang Ruilan and fell in love while they were both fleeing a war.

Two Xiang Opera performers brought an excerpt from "The Tale of Praying to the Moon" to the stage of the 2025 China Media Group Spring Festival Gala – an annual television event and one of the most-watched broadcasts in the world. This marked the first time that Xiang Opera had been performed at the gala, bringing this ancient art form to an unprecedented global audience.

In this episode of "Opera Trail," CGTN sits down with Xiang Opera performer Cao Weizhi, one of the leading voices of her generation in this operatic tradition, and takes you on a journey through the history of Xiang Opera. Through symbolic pieces from "Princess Baihua Bestows Her Sword" and "The Tale of Praying to the Moon," Cao showcases how Xiang Opera differs from other well-known opera styles and shares her own story of dedicating her efforts to preserving this ancient art form and achieving artistic excellence.

(Cover: Xiang Opera performer Cao Weizhi wears Princess Baihua's costume from the classical play "Princess Baihua Bestows Her Sword". /CGTN)

Executive producer: Zhang Jingwen

Producer: Yang Sha

Directors: Li Yue, Chen Hongyu

Video editor: Li Yue

Videographers: Han Xu, Zhang Jingwen

Cover photo: Yin Yating