[Video provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

An evening gala featuring traditional Chinese operas was held in Qingdao, Shandong province on July 24. Organizers said the gala aims to bring Chinses traditional culture closer to locals.

In celebration of the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China, the gala presented audiences with various Chinese traditional operas, including Peking opera, Lyu opera, Liuqiang opera, and Maoqiang opera.

Lyu opera is the most iconic type of Shandong opera, while Liuqiang opera and Maoqiang opera are unique traditional operas in Shandong.

This gala had 16 programs. An opera production named Ma Xiangyang's Journey to the Countryside, which won the 16th Wenhua Award, a top national accolade for the performing arts, tells the story of Ma Xiangyang leading his fellow villagers out of poverty and becoming rich.

Li Zhengze, who played Ma Xiangyang, said the opera made adjustments to meet the audience's preferences by adding some lines and dialogue rather than just singing.

In the gala, a number of top performers, including Zhang Meixiang and Shi Ping, performed traditional operas with Shandong characteristics.

Gong Fayi, director of the gala and president of Qingdao Peking Opera Theatre, said that the overall structure of the gala had a dramatic style with a flashback opening and used the technique of panoramic representation.

Chi Tao, president of Qingdao Dramatist Association and Qingdao Art Research Institute, said the gala not only covered a variety of art forms, but also included exquisite programs with Qingdao characteristics, showcasing the development of the local culture.

Zhong Kaiyi contributed to this story.