Senior performers teach students Huzhou opera at Tangdian Primary School – the first teaching base for Huzhou opera in Huzhou. [Photo/zjol.com.cn]

Gao Tianxin and Wang Chengkang – two students at Tangdian Primary School in Wuxing district, Huzhou, East China's Zhejiang province – performed a Huzhou opera during a variety performance in the district on Jan 17.

"I've been learning Huzhou opera for more than three years, so I'm very confident about my performance," said fifth-grader Gao while being interviewed after her performance.

Her partner, sixth-grader Wang, said: "I got used to speaking with the Huzhou dialect while learning the opera. I use it to chat with local seniors."

"Our school is the first teaching base for Huzhou opera in the city," said Song Wei, vice principal of the school. "We've been working to integrate the opera into music courses and class-break exercises to make it more popular among students and help them learn the Huzhou dialect."

According to Song, the school will invite senior performers to record video courses for Huzhou opera in the future.

Huzhou opera, also known as Huzhou Tanhuang, has over 100 years of history and was included in the national intangible cultural heritage list in 2011.

It is popular in the cities of Huzhou, Jiaxing, and Hangzhou in Zhejiang province, and some other places in Jiangsu province.