Yuan Huiqin, Peking Opera actress. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Her parents didn't set goals for her and only hoped that she could enjoy the art along with other children of her age.

Unlike other such opera roles－hua dan (young female roles) and wu dan (martial arts female roles)－lao dan roles don't look beautiful, and the actresses usually wear gray wigs and makeup that look like wrinkles.

"But my mother persuaded me to practice the lao dan roles," recalls Yuan. "She told me, 'If you portray women who are much older than you, you could become a great actress.'"

Yuan became an apprentice of Peking Opera master Li Jinquan in 1983 and traveled to Beijing from her hometown frequently.

"I stayed in a small hotel near the Forbidden City while in Beijing and learned the opera. I would sing from early morning until evening. My master was very strict. I had to repeat singing one word for a whole day until he nodded. My biggest entertainment was to watch Peking Opera performances at a small theater near my hotel."

In 1990, when Peking Opera celebrated its 200th anniversary, Yuan played the lead role in the piece Empress Dowager Xiao, which focuses on the ethnic nomadic tribe Qidan during the Liao Dynasty (916-1125).

In 2001, this Peking Opera piece was adapted into a six-episode TV drama, which combines Peking Opera with contemporary TV, and features Yuan in the lead role of the royal woman.

"The TV drama enabled more audiences, especially the young people, to appreciate Peking Opera," says Yuan.

In 2008, Yuan initiated the idea of shooting a film, the first of its kind in the country, based on the Peking Opera piece, Dui Hua Qiang (Silver Spear) and she played the lead role of Jiang Guizhi, a loyal wife.

"In all roles that I play, I try to present women with sophisticated characters and rich emotions. It's not just about the gestures and singing the lyrics," Yuan says.

Now, Yuan teaches at the National Academy of Chinese Theater Arts and she hopes to inspire the next generation with her knowledge and experience of playing lao dan roles.