“THE White-haired Girl,” a 70-year-old opera, greeted audiences with a 3-D makeover in Beijing over the weekend.

    The opera is based on a legendary Chinese folk tale about a girl named Xi’er, the daughter of a poor farmer in Shaanxi Province. Her father was forced to sell her to his landlord. Xi’er escaped and hid on a mountain after her father committed suicide. Due to extremely hard living conditions, Xi’er’s hair turned completely white. She was later rescued and got married, so her hair turned from white to black again.

    “The White-haired Girl” debuted in 1945 in Yan’an. It soon became a hit not only for its moving story but also for its unique mixture of Chinese and Western opera styles.

    A number of actresses have portrayed the lead character over the decades, including Chinese first lady Peng Liyuan. Peng is the artistic director of the 3-D version.

    It is the first time that a Chinese opera has been presented on the stage in 3-D, heralding 3-D art piece for Chinese operas.

    (SD-Agencies)