For many college students, traditional Kunqu Opera will no longer just be something described in textbooks, but a living part of campus culture.

It was announced at a seminar at the end of last year that the Ministry of Culture will require each of the seven professional Kunqu theaters to give 20 free public performances at colleges annually.

The government will also establish three to four protection centers, create ten new scripts and rescue 15 classic scripts and 200 traditional scripts over the next four years.

The cost of the college performances will covered by the central and local governments, said Lu Yuzhong, an official from the ministry's department of arts, at the national Kunqu seminar held in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, from December 24 to 27 last year.

Lu said the move is a part of the country's latest program to save, protect and support Kunqu drafted last May.

In addition, new Kunqu players will be trained and more cultural activities organized to boost Kunqu's popularity.

Lin Weilin, head of Zhejiang Kunqu Theater, said China has lacked a long-term plan to publicize its cultural heritage among the younger generation. In that respect, the new program is a breakthrough, and Lin’s company has decided to perform at Zhejiang University and other colleges and to discuss new scripts with students.

The 600-year old Kunqu Opera, one of the oldest operatic forms in China, was considered the mother of many other types of traditional opera. It is known for its gentle and clear vocals, beautiful and refined tunes and dance-like stage performance.

It reached its peak of popularity by the late Ming Dynasty and early Qing Dynasty, influencing Beijing Opera amongst others. However, toward the end of the Qing, it lost its appeal and was on the verge of extinction.

Currently, there are only about 300 professional Kunqu players across the country and many traditional Kunqu scripts have been lost.

The fate of Kunqu Opera has aroused worldwide attention. In 2001, it was included in UNESCO's intangible heritage list as an "oral masterpiece."

(Xinhua News Agency January 5, 2005)