Sichuan Opera performer Wu Yonghong, 26 years, of the Jinyuan Opera Company performs for villagers at the Dongyue Temple on May 2, 2016 in Cangshan, Sichuan province, China. Sichuan opera is a vibrant, centuries-old tradition that showcases the joys and challenges of daily life in rural China with tales of love, tradition, and family honor. As the traditional audience grows older, the opera as a form of art and recreation is struggling to endure as newer spectators within younger generations are leaving the countryside for China's cities to seek employment. The tradition suffered a setback 50 years ago during the Cultural Revolution, the period of persecution and upheaval set into motion in May 1966 by Communist Party Chairman Mao Zedong to reassert his ideological authority. The operas were banned and most of the troupes were disbanded, but were revived in the late 1970s. (Photo by Kevin Frayer/Getty Images)
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