Themk 10th anniversary of the Chinese ethnic opera Yi Hongwas commemorated on Sunday in Xichang, Sichuan Province.   

Telling the story of the Red Army's Long March through Liangshan, where they formed a deep friendship with the local Yi people, the opera premiered on July 15, 2014, and has since been performed 103 times.

This is the first opera in the history of Yi ethnic cultural arts. The opera not only retells the famous story in history but also showcases the unique charm of Yi ethnic music and the rich cultural characteristics of the ethnic group.

Yi Hongfeatures a cast composed of 95 percent local ethnic actors from Liangshan, many of whom had no prior experience in musical theater. The actors began their training from scratch, learning stage presence, speech, and movements. 

According to the creative team, this lack of professional training allowed the actors to perform with genuine emotion, enhancing the audience's connection to the story.

The opera combines traditional revolutionary themes with contemporary stagecraft, utilizing Liangshan's rich ethnic cultural resources to present a meaningful and distinctive narrative. Over the past decade, Yi Honghas won multiple prestigious awards and garnered acclaim from both audiences and industry professionals.