In 1850, he says, a man named Tian Huarong called upon some local people to copy and edit the scripts. Since then, villagers have kept the preserved scripts and handed them off to each new generation.

"As early as the Qing Dynasty, our village had the scripts, some of which are now kept in the Chinese Traditional Opera Research Institute in Beijing," Tian says proudly.

A performance of Chuiqiang is accompanied with the music of Chinese traditional wind instruments flute and sheng.

Zhao Lianzhong, in his 70s, one of the oldest actors in the troupe, takes great pride in what his group has accomplished on the stage.

"Except for the lighting and sound effects, everything about our troupe, including the instruments, costumes and props, is as good as the professional troupes," he says. "Our generation should not lose the opera we've inherited from our ancestors."

Village leaders have offered their full support for the troupe. They say the troupe is a great tradition for the village and has delighted the farmers, bringing much joy into their lives.

In addition to the traditional episodes, the troupe has been working on new programs telling modern stories, including a drama about Zhang Side, a soldier known as a model of morality after he died at work in 1944.

Editor: Cindy