A teacher from Xichang Primary School in Nantong, Jiangsu province puts on Peking Opera makeup on a student on Jan 2. [Photo by Xiang Zhonglin/Xinhua]

Peking Opera, the quintessence of Chinese folk art, enjoys an almost equal popularity in Nantong, an eastern China city thousands of kilometers away from the birthplace city of Beijing. 

The riverside city boasts a rich Peking Opera atmosphere, with related exhibitions put on every day, novel performances staged every week, lectures given every month, masters performing every season, and city-level competitions commencing every year. 

At a quiet corner of Nantong, where Xichang Primary School is located, enthusiastic pupils are busy practicing their Peking Opera skills and immersing themselves in the artistic environment. 

Peking Opera has now been listed as an optional course at the school. Students can get professional guidance from teachers at the local Nantong Art Theater.