Help at home

Financial support from a local entrepreneur has also significantly helped the rapid development of Maoqiang Opera in recent years, Sun says.

"Without Dong Yanping, there would be no New Era Maoqiang Art Troupe," she says.

The 63-year-old president of Wulian county's stone industry association and chairman of the Wulian Shanqian Stone company, set up the New Era troupe in 2018. He says that the troupe's annual expenses amount to about 2 million yuan ($277,200).

Dong says he particularly enjoyed traditional Chinese opera when he was a student majoring in music. After hearing Maoqiang Opera master Zeng Jinfeng's Luoshanji (The Tale of Clothes), the music lingered in his mind, and continues to do so after more than four decades.

"Now, when I think about it, that melody immediately jumps out," Dong says.

He made up his mind early on to establish his own Maoqiang Opera troupe to perform for the villagers of Wulian once he had the means to do so.

The troupe is an important part of Dong's life — in 2019, the billionaire underwent liver surgery in a Shanghai hospital and could not speak for nearly half a year due to the tube that was inserted in his throat.

Once he had recovered, he telephoned the troupe and the first thing he asked was, "How many people are still in the troupe?"

"The troupe director replied, 'All 42 are staying, none of us will leave'. I could not help crying upon hearing that," Dong says. He was deeply moved by the dedication of the troupe members and wanted to do all he could to support their work.