A farmer's passion for traditional opera

Guo Wenying slips into her costume, dons a headset, tests her microphone and belts out a traditional local opera in front of her 34,000 online followers.

Guo, 57, is a farmer in Loufan county, North China's Shanxi province. The county was mired in poverty for decades and only recently bid farewell to financial hardship.

"I was just making ends meet and didn't have the time and energy to focus on music," Guo said. "But I did want to stick with my hobby, which is singing and performing the Shanxi Daoqing, a historical opera."

Currently, the average per capita annual income in Loufan has exceeded 7,500 yuan ($1,077), according to the latest government figures.

"Now I can perform every day because there are no more financial worries," she said. "I feel happy."

Since she was a child, Guo's passion grew for the Daoqing opera. The musical form originated from the Tang Dynasty (618-907) and local rural dwellers popularized it in the province. Performers usually wear colorful costumes and sing in local dialects.

Guo became a Daoqing performer in her village at the tender age of 17. She would swagger on stage and sing her heart out to the crowds during traditional festivals.

"I was a cool kid," she recalled.

In the 1970s and 1980s, money was tight, and performing alone wasn't enough to get by in a poor county like Loufan.

"After I got married, I spent all my days doing chores, growing crops and taking care of my husband and kids," she said. "I simply couldn't afford to get on stage again."