China has launched a project to establish a Traditional Local Opera Audio and Video Database to record and protect the ancient art.

Statistics show that there were 367 local operas across China during 1950s and 60s, including more than 50 new styles. In recent years, China Arts Research Institute has collected more than 40,000 records of local operas, with more than 15,000 hours of audio recordings and over 2,000 hours of video recordings for the database.

The China Traditional Local Operas Audio and Video Database aims to be completed within one and a half years, and will include representative works and artists from all local operas found now in the country.

(CRI.com.cn February 6, 2005)