Following outstanding Peking Opera performers including Mei Lanfang, Cheng Yanqiu, Ma Lianliang, Zhou Xinfang and Du Jinfang, the emergence of many young artistes has continued to breathe new life into Peking Opera. In over 200 years, Peking Opera has developed over a thousand plays of high artistic value, as well as sets of musical modes and stylized performance movements. It took shape in the early 19th century in Beijing and combines singing, music, chanting, dancing and martial arts. Peking Opera (evolved from Kunqu Opera, an even more ancient type of drama) is the most popular and influential opera form. To date the prestigious award has gone to 460 actors and actresses of 47 kinds of opera, hailing from 29 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the Central Government, Hong Kong, and Taiwan.

The Plum Blossom Award founded in 1983 is China's highest prize for opera performers of young and middle age. At present, thousands of plays are performed on the stage every year, adding variety to people's cultural life. China boasts more than 300 kinds of traditional opera, mainly using singing and dancing to express the plot. Chinese traditional opera, Greek tragedy and comedy, and Indian Sanskrit opera are considered as the world's three ancient operas.

China peking opera theater