Tale of the White Snake, a Peking Opera hit, has opened with a bang in France.

The audience gave a long standing ovation after the performance in the Opera Theatre of Lille, a city in northern France named European Culture Capital of 2004.

Despite language obstacles, the crowd were attracted by the distinctive features of Peking Opera, like the highly stylized spoken parts, the costumes and the amazing martial arts.

The show is an important part of the China-France Culture Year activities. This special overseas version is put on by the prize-winning Shanghai Peking Opera House and stars many famous players.

Tale of the White Snake, a well-known Chinese legend, is a beautiful love story about a beautiful snake fairy and an ordinary man. 

(CRI April 1, 2004)