The centuries-old Huangmei Opera from east China's Anqing, Anhui Province is ready to take the country by storm with another wave of performances. On September 10, a press conference was held in Beijing on an upcoming Huangmei Opera Festival.

The upcoming Huangmei Opera Festival in early November will be the third of its kind held by the municipal government of Anqing, where the folk art was fully developed and gained national fame.

Zhu Duwen, Mayor of Anqing, Anhui province, said: "The Third National Huangmei Opera Festival exceeds the previous sessions in both scale and repertoire. More troupes will participate, making the event a visual extravaganza."

Huangmei Opera was formed in the 18th century in central China's Hubei Province, but didn't fully mature until it was brought to Anqing in the early 20th century. Following the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, the opera enjoyed rapid development and soon boasted a repertoire of about 100 pieces.

Zhu also said: "Huangmei Opera is often about folk life and famous for its light and lyrical music. We hope more people at home and abroad can appreciate the folk art and its hometown through this Festival."

This year's festival will run from November 1 till 5 in Anqing. Nearly 10 troupes will perform during the event, staging plays written in the past five years.

(CCTV.com September 11, 2003)