The Role of New Media in Promoting Chinese Opera

The effectiveness of using new media to promote traditional art forms, particularly opera, is now beyond doubt among specialists. Furthermore, the declining interest in opera, especially among young people, has led theaters to turn to new media practices. In 2023, the audience for new media in China exceeds 1 billion people. Research shows that modern viewers prefer short texts over lengthy ones and videos over printed works. Chinese theaters are leveraging these characteristics in their approach to traditional art forms. The article illustrates how the Shaoxing opera “Yueju” is being popularized through the performance “The Hotel New Dragon Gates”. To promote the show, internet resources were utilized, particularly platforms like Weibo, Xiaohongshu, and TikTok. Short videos featuring excerpts from the performance and behind-the-scenes life were created, and interactive engagement on social media was organized, including discussions, contests, and more. The leading actors of the performance actively participated in the talk show, which also influenced the audience’s attention to the opera. The article presents digital data showing a 50% increase in audience numbers on TikTok during 2023 alone. At the same time, it highlights the risks associated with using social media to promote traditional opera. Among these risks are a decline in audience interest in traditional performance formats and an excessive focus on recording videos by actors at the expense of rehearsals. Meanwhile, the government is striving to preserve and popularize traditional Chinese culture and plans to create a digital database of works of art by 2035. This project aims to meet the needs of the Chinese audience, which prefers using digital technologies to obtain information, including cultural content.