Ancient opera finds new voice

French vocalist and blogger Alice Roche, renowned for performing Chinese songs in her native language on social media, never expected to fall in love with Kunqu Opera. However, years ago, she discovered the ancient art form and learned its songs and gestures from a professional teacher.

"It's been a super interesting experience," she says. "I especially love the lanhua zhi (orchid finger gesture). It beautifully showcases the elegance of traditional hand movements."

For Roche, the appeal goes deeper than aesthetics. "Ancient culture can help us better understand our world, society, and the mechanisms of our traditions," Roche explains. "We can discover more beauty and aesthetics in humanity through these ancient arts."

Meanwhile, university student Liu Yuxuan is reinterpreting traditional opera for a digitally native generation. When he posted his Peking Opera rendition of the Ultraman Tiga story on social media, he expected little more than a few curious clicks.

Instead, his inbox exploded overnight with thousands of messages. Young viewers flooded the comments section, calling his work "abstract", an internet slang term used to describe something so unexpectedly brilliant that it defies conventional logic.

"Many said it sounded strange at first listen, but they couldn't stop replaying it," says the 22-year-old information management and systems major, known online as "Yuzhou Axuan".

Now, Liu's unconventional approach attracts millions of views by adapting everything from the children's live-action series Balala the Fairies to Peppa Pig into traditional opera formats.