A county with dozens of active folk theater troupes; A rural theater troupe that performs over 300 times a year and has over 2 million fans on video platforms - this is the "growth" of Gezaixi in Zhangpu County, Zhangzhou City, Fujian Province. Gezi Opera, also known as Xiang Opera, is a traditional Chinese opera in the southern Fujian region. Along with Min Opera, Liyuan Opera, Gaojia Opera, and Puxian Opera, it is one of the five major local opera genres in Fujian and has been listed in the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage. How popular is Taiwanese opera in the rural areas of Zhangpu? Practice tonight! ”After dinner, the sky was still bright. Zhao Ahua, a 62 year old villager from Huxi She Village, Zhangpu County, shouted to his sisters in the same village and hurried to the Happiness Square in the village. We love listening to plays, we run wherever there is a play, and we also love singing plays. We formed our own theater troupe, "Zhao Ahua said. In the rural areas of Zhangpu, almost every village has a stage, and during festivals and happy events at home, they like to invite the Gezi Opera troupe to sing a few performances. In recent years, Taiwanese opera has made a name for itself in rural areas and gained popularity. In the ancient castle of Yi'anbao, a Minnan residential area during the Qing Dynasty, Cai Dongmei, a folk performer and self media anchor of the Fenggui Culture Xiang Opera Troupe, organized her own "Village Evening" puppet show. Behind it, the ancient houses in southern Fujian have unique characteristics; In his hand, the puppet with string jumps and somersaults; In the mouth, Taiwanese opera is melodious and melodious... A live broadcast attracted 1.69 million viewers and also made the hidden villages in the countryside known to more people. In the past two years, many enthusiasts of ancient architecture and folk customs have spontaneously come to visit. ”Seeing the increasing popularity in the village, in August last year, Huang Hongwei, a villager in the city, opened a travel photography store and even managed a video account with a strong "village" flavor. In February of this year, the village in the city held a cultural activity evening party for farmers. The drama teams organized by Cai Dongmei and Zhao Ahua were invited to perform on stage, attracting thousands of audience members. Let's watch the good show together, "said Wang Lichao, the publicity committee member of the Huxi She Ethnic Township Party Committee. Every traditional festival such as Spring Festival and Double Ninth Festival, the local area holds a" village evening "to enrich the cultural life of villagers and drive the popularity of cultural tourism. The continuous performances mean that folk artists have more stages. Almost every day, performances are held in various towns and villages, and some festivals have already been scheduled until 2028. ”By gaining popularity through Taiwanese opera, Cai Dongmei has had more and more opportunities to perform. She has organized and participated in three theater troupes with over 100 cast members. On April 11th, in Zhaojiacheng Village, not far from the city center, Yang Wangtai was leading a theater troupe to perform the classic Taiwanese opera play "After Meng Lijun". Yang Wangtai, a native of Dabaishi Village, Fotan Town, Zhangpu County, founded a theater troupe in 2014 and has trained many Taiwanese opera actors in the village. She performs over 100 times a year and can support more than 20 performers in the troupe, more than 10 of whom I brought from my own village. Yang Chengliang, a member of the Party branch of Dabaishi Village, introduced that four folk opera troupes have been established in Dabaishi Village, directly driving about 40 villagers to work in the troupes. In order to encourage folk theater troupes to improve their performance level, Zhangpu County actively supports them in creating high-quality plays through purchasing public welfare performances and other means. Lin Qun, the head of the Social Culture and Arts Division of Zhangpu County Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau, said, "We also organize 'Top Ten Folk Art Groups' opera competitions, festival' Village Evening 'and other activities, giving folk theater groups the opportunity to fully showcase themselves and expand their markets." With the resounding drums and melodious melodies, on rural stages, Taiwanese opera, which has been polished over time, has become increasingly rich in flavor from southern Fujian. (New Society)