Audience gets into character

"Many netizens left comments saying they had always wanted to take opera-style portraits, but never knew where to find such services," Zhang Ke says. Soon, tourists and online influencers from across China began arriving at the museum. Short videos of their visits drew hundreds of thousands of interactions, turning Dian Opera into one of Yunnan's most talked-about cultural experiences this summer.

Zhang Ke then mobilized the family to form a six-person customer service team, responding to more than 1,000 inquiries a day. Portrait sessions are now fully booked through October.