Interview: Peking opera fascinates U.S. audience: young Chinese actresses

"To me, love which isn't just kissing and touching or eating for survival, is the desire not to die and a kind of heroic dream in exhausted life."

The well-known sentence, which was allegedly written by Marguerite Duras but in fact written by a Chinese female author, is not as sensational as it used to be, but it really carried something when two post-90s Peking Opera actresses recited it to the Xinhua correspondent recently.

Zhou Meihui, 24, and Zhang Xi, 25, have just returned from a 16-day tour of five U.S. cities to perform Peking opera as members of one of China's most famous national Peking Opera troupes composed of 32 artists.

The U.S. audience, Chinese or not, showed "crazy zeal" for Peking Opera, which was totally exceeded the troupe's expectation, zhou said.

"The tickets sold out soon and the theaters were packed with enthusiastic audience. Although the show lasted for over three hours and we all sang in Chinese, no one left," Zhou added.

Both Zhou and Zhang are from "Peking Opera families," which means their parents are also in the business. The two post-90s embarked on this strenuous career when they were only four years old.

"Some of my fans always wonder why my parents brought me to the opera business," Zhang said. "Well, I just love the Peking Opera, it's like familial genes. Plus, the opera has a long history and is culturally rich."

She added that although Peking Opera is currently at a low ebb due to its slow rhythm and their stories' lack of connections with modern life, her affection for it remains as strong as ever.

"It will be quite a waste to give it up after all these years. And it is safe to say that the whole troupe is stable, materially and mentally, to secure our career commitments, despite all the temptations out there," she said.

Her remarks were echoed by Zhou, also a fan of "traditional stuff."

"Besides singing Peking Opera, I also like playing traditional lyre, doing traditional painting and tea ceremonies," she said.

"There is a long history and rich culture behind the Peking Opera," she said, adding that the only way to master the art is to keep learning for the whole life.

Moreover, it is becoming trendy to go to the theater and enjoy the graceful singing and dancing by artists wearing elegant makeups and costumes.

"We have seen more and more youngsters among our fans," Zhang said.

"As times goes by, the young people will realize the graceful beauty of Peking Opera," Zhang added. Endi