Forgotten opera gem restored (2)

Living in the outskirts of Beijing, Ma, who has never married, has a simple lifestyle, eating basic meals and wearing plain clothes. Besides his devotion to Peking Opera, he also spends a lot of time taking care of homeless cats and dogs.

He says there are many popular TV series about the Qing Dynasty. However, some of the historical details are inaccurate, such as the customs of bowing, greeting and even walking.

"Traditional Chinese culture has been destroyed by bad-quality television, which just wants to entertain the audience and ignore the real history and culture. I want to try my best to convey correct information about traditional Chinese culture," he says.

According to Liu Xinran, artistic director of Zhengyici Theater, who is also a student of Ma, Mei Yu Pei will be a highlight of the ongoing performance season, which runs through May.

"When I invited Ma to the theater, he fell in love with the place instantly. He told me that the atmosphere of the theater matches so well with Mei Yu Pei. We believe that both the theater and the classic Peking Opera work will be reborn together," says Liu, who came to work at the theater in 2010, ahead of its reopening.

Unlike many other young Chinese people, who adore stars from Japan and South Korea, Liu enjoys traditional Chinese culture, especially Peking Opera.

The two-floor theater, which is the only remaining wooden structure of the Qing Dynasty in Beijing, has hosted many Peking Opera masters performing since it was first built in 1667. Since its re-opening, the theater has served as the venue for the 100th production of the Mei Lanfang Classics, a six-part production by the eponymous Peking Opera master. The ongoing performance season will also see other Peking Opera productions along with Chinese folk music and modern dance.

The 36-year-old Liu will also perform at the experimental one-man Peking Opera show Cao Qi Qiao, inspired by Eileen Chang's novel The Golden Cangue.

"It has always been our aim to reignite the fame of the old theater. It should function like it did 300 years ago rather than become a museum," says Liu.

To prolong the theater's lifespan, Liu says that it should be used fewer than 250 days a year. "Therefore, we only bring the most valuable performances to the theater," he says.

IF YOU GO

Highlights of the ongoing season of Zhengyici Theater:

The Chinese Quartet, a traditional Chinese chamber band featuring the founder and guzheng (Chinese plucked zither) player Fan Weiqing and four other musicians, Miao Xiaoqin, Kong Weijuan, Geng Hui and Li Juan. 7:30 pm on April 30 and May 1.

The Peking Opera Mei Yu Pei will be staged at 2 pm on May 2 and 3.

Ex-businesswoman and now guqin player Huang Wenyi, along with traditional Chinese folk music instrument player Xu Bo and guqin (seven-string plucked zither) player Fan Na will perform at 7:30 pm on May 18.

The experimental Peking Opera show Cao Qi Qiao from Taiwan will be staged at 7:30 pm on May 10 and 11.

The traditional Peking Opera show Yu Tang Chun will be staged at 2 pm on May 25.

Zhengyici Theater, 220 Qianmen Xiheyan Jie (Street), southeast of Hepingmen subway station, Xicheng district, Beijing. 010-8315-1650.