Reviving Huai Opera: Professor's 19-Year Quest to Save Cultural Heritage

For 19 years, Henan Normal University professor Ding Yongxiang has led efforts to rescue Huai Opera, a 300-year-old endangered art form. Through campus intangible heritage clubs and rural fieldwork, his team recorded 3 million words of scripts and helped 20+ projects gain intangible heritage status. Despite fading popularity, Ding revived village troupes and launched cultural festivals, bridging generational gaps. "Preserving heritage requires action, not just lists," he says. His student-led intangible heritage association now attracts thousands, injecting youth into safeguarding traditions.#ChinaYouthBy Wang Yu, Wang Ziyuan, Li Chenhu (intern), Li Zi’ang, and Pan Zhixian / China Youth Daily