Scenes from the filming of the Xihe Yingziqiang Opera Bixue Xicheng (Defenders of Xihe Citadel). [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

A traditional opera from Gansu province has been selected for a national project to document and preserve regional Chinese opera traditions, marking the first time a work from Xihe county has been included.

A representative work of Xihe Yingziqiang Opera, Bixue Xicheng, or Defenders of Xihe Citadel, was selected for the 2025-2026 China National Opera Audio-Visual Project. Recording is underway at Hubei Film Studio.

The project aims to preserve rare and endangered opera traditions through recordings of stage performances. Four operas from Gansu were selected in the latest round.

Originating as vocal accompaniment for shadow-puppet and wooden-puppet performances, Yingziqiang later developed into a folk opera performed by actors, mainly in Xihe and neighboring Li county in Longnan. It incorporates local folk melodies, percussion, and influences from Qinqiang Opera.

The art form is known for its powerful vocals and a distinctive technique called mao qiang, in which the lead singer is joined by other performers in a chorus. Yingziqiang was added to Gansu's provincial intangible cultural heritage list in 2008.

"Yingziqiang carries the local history and the local people's attachment to their homeland," said Dong Xinping, lead actor in the selected production and head of the Xihe County Opera Troupe. He said the recording would help preserve the tradition for future generations.

Set in 1235 during the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279), Bixue Xicheng tells the story of Chen Yin, prefect of Xihe, and his deputy Jia Zikun, who led soldiers and residents in defending a frontier citadel against invading forces. Despite being outnumbered and receiving no reinforcements, the defenders fought until their deaths.

Tong Yunshan contributed to the story.