A Wuju Opera performance is held in a rural village in Yiwu, Zhejiang province. [Photo/VCG]

The Zhejiang Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism recently granted the title of "Home of Zhejiang's Traditional Operas" to six counties (including county-level cities and districts) and six townships (including township-level sub-districts) in an effort to promote the development of the province's traditional operas.

The six county-level recipients of the honor were Shengzhou, Yuyao, Ninghai, Pingyang, Jiande, and Yiwu. 

Shengzhou, a county-level city administered by Shaoxing, has a deep connection with Yueju Opera, the most influential traditional opera in Zhejiang province. Shengzhou is the birthplace of Yueju Opera and witnessed the emergence of the opera's first female performers. A significant number of well-known Yueju Opera artists were born and raised there.

Yuyao, a county-level city administered by Ningbo, Ninghai, a county administered by Ningbo, and Pingyang, a county administered by Wenzhou, have been named the home of Yaoju Opera, pingdiao (or flat tone), and Pingyang-style puppet shows, respectively.

Jiande, a county-level city administered by Hangzhou, and Yiwu, a county-level city administered by Jinhua, have both made outstanding contributions to the preservation and promotion of Wuju Opera, which is most prevalent in the region around Jinhua.