A daughter's return

"We want to pay our respects to those revolutionary martyrs, because, like many people in the production, I've grown up and witnessed the country's development, the reform and opening-up and the strides made in poverty alleviation," says Wang.

"I've learned the songs of the opera as a student, as they are popular and classic works. The opera also has lots of Chinese folk music elements, which make it unique," says soprano Lei. Born in Yiyang, Hunan province, in 1979, Lei entered the Hunan Art School, currently known as Hunan Vocational College of Art, to study huaguxi ("flower-drum opera"), a local Chinese opera style unique to the Hunan region. After graduation in 1997, Lei entered the China Conservatory of Music for undergraduate studies. She was later admitted to the Song and Dance Ensemble of the Political Department of the Chinese People's Liberation Army in 2002, establishing her career as a soloist.

Known for her performances in Chinese operas, including The White-Haired Girl and Mulan, Lei is also a winner of the aforementioned Wenhua Award, as well as the Plum Performance Award, also one of the nation's top awards for theater and opera performances.