On this Day in Chinese History; 5 February

This day, 5 February, in 1957, the China Central Experimental Opera Theatre (today’s China National Opera & Dance Drama Theatre) performed the Western classical opera, “La Traviata”, in Beijing. Conducted by Li Guoquan, then chief conductor of the Theatre, it was an all-Chinese production and was sung in Chinese. This was the first complete performance of a Western classical opera in Chinese history.