Italy has around 800 opera houses spread across its cities and countryside.

Performers rehearse Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi's Rigoletto at Cervantes theatre in Spain. In its two-century history, Peking opera reached its peak in the early 20th century and created many world-renowned stars, with Mei Lanfang as the most renowned figure. The first Chinese film, made in 1905, was a recording of the Peking opera 'The Battle of Dingjunshan,' in which master Tan Xinpei played the major role. Costumes and facial make-up have strict rituals and their colors and patterns portray characters' personalities and social identities. String and wind instruments are generally used in Peking opera music, playing a crucial role in creating a particular atmosphere, shaping the characters, and guiding the progression of the stories. Sung and recited primarily using the Beijing dialect of Chinese, Peking opera tells stories of history, politics, society and daily life and aspires to both inform and entertain. In their hearts, opera is the national symbol that best presents Italian culture to the world.

Italy selected Italian opera singing over its beloved 'caffe' as the country's submission for intangible heritage recognition by UNESCO. More than a hundred years earlier, the Italian opera was born in Florence, combining the recitative vocal style (a type of speak-singing that imitates the rhythm and delivery of ordinary speech to move the plot forward) with arias, duets and trios. Peking opera, inscribed in 2010 on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, is a performance art dating back to the late 18th century and incorporates singing, reciting, acting, and martial arts. Young students perform the Peking opera Badachui in Wuhan on May 8, 2023.

Download chinese opera