The Liyuan Opera Experimental Troupe of Fujian Province was founded in 1953. Liyuan Opera originated in the 11thcentury in Quanzhou, Fujian Province and was popular in southern Fujian Province the name: a living fossil for its preservation of many time-honored dramas, music and stage idioms of Southern Local Operas in the Song, Yuan and Ming Dynasties. Since its founding, the Troupe has made great efforts in rescuing, borrowing and developing ancient Liyuan operas with gratifying achievements. In 1954, the Liyuan opera Aunt Chen Sanwu won a couple of awards including the Wenhua Award during the North China Opera Gala Performances and was later made into a color film. Women of Integrity won an Outstanding Performance Award at the First Chinese Drama Festival, the Fourth National Excellent Play Writing Award and many other awards. In recent years, the newly created Liyuan operas such as Maple Forest in the Evening, Dongsheng and Miss Li, Chen Zhongzi and Yamen Runner and Woman Thief have scooped many outstanding local opera awards in Fujian Province, among which Chen Dongzi won the Tianhan Literature Award, Dongsheng and Miss Li and Yamen Runner and Woman Thief won the Cao Yu Literature Award.

The Troupe has vigorously taken part in international cultural exchange and has toured Japan, the Philippines, Italy, Singapore as well as Hong Kong and Taiwan regions, establishing ties with many overseas art troupes and sholars.

Over the recent years, more than forty artists of the troupe have earned the top awards in local drama contest at all levels. Zeng Jingping, a young actress, has become the first one in Fujian to win the National Drama Plum Blossom Award and the Second Shanghai Drama Performance White Mognolia Leading Role Award and the Fujian Narcissus Best Actress Award.

The major artists of the Troupe include Wu Jieqiu, Wang Renjie, Su Yanshi, Li Swenzhang, Zeng Jingping, Cai Yazhi, Su Wushui, Shi Zhi, Xu Changxin, Wang Zhaoan, Chen Jimin, Wu Mingsen, Gong Wanli, Wang Lili, Li Hong, Zhuang Changjiang and Su Zhaoping.

Address: Guorongxiang Lane, Licheng District, Quanzhou, Fujian Province

Post code: 362000

Tel: (0595) 2382236