"I love Chuju but I am worried it cannot be a lifetime job, so I got married to a man from outside our circle," said Chang, who has been with the troupe for more than 20 years.

Every year, from September to next May, the troupe put up more than 250 performances for farmers across the province.

Between June and August, they head back home to beat the unbearable heat of summer.

"While other families get together during the traditional holidays, we have to leave our families," the troupe head said.

"During Spring Festival last year in Xiaogan (of Hubei), we performed outdoors in spite of heavy snow and strong winds," he said. Even their stage was damaged, he added.

To cope with the huge holiday crowds, the troupe keeps moving from one township to another. "In order to save time, we often give three performances a day in one place. It is really exhausting," Du said.

The performers make do with whatever accommodation they can find and cook their own meals. "Sometimes, we live backstage but often we have to cram into the small houses of local farmers," Du said.

Despite the fact that the troupe seldom performs in big cities where fewer people like Chuju and can never be in the reckoning for any awards, the artists always take their work seriously.

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