China will spend 10 million yuan (about US$1.2 million) per year from 2005 to 2009 in an effort to preserve, protect and promote the waning Kunqu Opera.

The National Kunqu Opera Preservation Project was initiated by the Ministry of Culture and began last Saturday. Under this project Kunqu Opera will be developed in such areas as composing, researching and exchanging centers for the opera.

"The national support of Kunqu Opera will definitely bring new life to this ancient opera form," said Ke Jun, dean of the Kunqu Opera House in east China's Jiangsu Province.

The project seeks to create 10 "superb" Kunqu operas and to train a group of professionals.

Kunqu Opera was named by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to its list of Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity in 2001.

"I'm very optimistic about the future of Kunqu. I'm very confident," Ke said.

(Xinhua News Agency January 5, 2005)