Peking Opera gets a new look

Motion capture techniques were used in the films, which were produced with the help of Peking Opera stars like Shanghai-based Guan Dongtian.

The digital images were then reproduced in a Chinese ink style. The films were directed by Wu Jun.

"Our purpose is to keep pupils interested, so the films just feature short passages from the operas," said Zhou Long, vice president of the National Academy of Chinese Theater Arts.

"Once we have their interest, we hope they'll want to find out more about it," he said.

One of the movies is "The Drunk Beauty," which tells the story of a concubine called Yang Yuhuan in Tang Dynasty (618-907), while "The Empty City" tells the tale of Zhuge Liang, a famous politician and strategist who lived during Three Kingdoms period (220-280).