Streaming through

Chen continues to improve her skills, and takes part in competitions to prove herself. In 2021, she won prizes in an annual competition of the art form in Changsha for her outstanding performances and efforts to spread Huagu Opera. Now, she is one of the hua dan performers at the center and delivers the most performances each year.

After reading audience comments to her first video in 2019, she started livestreaming acts of Huagu Opera. As her popularity increased, more of her colleagues joined, and the center started group livestreaming sessions in September.

According to Wang Yong, director of the center, the first livestreaming on Sept 15 attracted an audience of more than 3.5 million, 70 times the audience size of some 160 offline shows by performers of the center in 2021.

Chen says livestreaming is different from performing in a theater. "In terms of performances in theaters, everything is organized during rehearsals, and we just follow it, which means we always know what we need to do. But livestreaming requires adaptability."