When summer heat settles over the city, have you ever thought of taking your child somewhere different?
Go to the hometown of Cheng Changgeng, to the foot of Tianzhushan, to a place filled with opera, mountains, water, and stories.
Not for a hurried sightseeing trip, but to step into a two-century echo of the operatic world; not merely to fill a holiday, but to let your child encounter the earliest spirit of China’s national opera amid mountains and rivers.

From July 26 to August 2, 2026, in Qianshan, Anhui, the event “Into the Hometown of Cheng Changgeng — The 3rd ‘Tianzhushan Cup’ Youth Peking Opera Amateur Competition” will open in a spirit both solemn and vibrant, commemorating the 215th anniversary of the birth of the founding master of Peking Opera.
This is far more than a competition — it is a grand operatic feast that can also be explored through travel.

Mountains and Opera, Nature becomes the stage

In the early morning, climb Tianzhushan.
As clouds roll across the peaks, your child may suddenly begin humming a few lines of Pihuang learned just days before.
This is not a lesson arranged on purpose, but a natural awakening of melody inspired by the landscape itself.

This UNESCO Global Geopark will offer free admission to contestants during the event, while accompanying parents may enjoy half-price tickets.
As you stroll along the cliff inscriptions of Valley Spring Cultural Park, the brushwork of history seems to resonate with the mountain springs — the ancients left their poetry here, and your child may leave a singing voice at the foot of the mountain.

Descending from the heights, you enter the world of Cheng Changgeng.
His former residence, memorial hall, Changgeng Pavilion, and Peking Opera training base together form the “Changgeng Cultural Route,” tracing the life journey of one of opera’s great masters.
With guidance from professional instructors, children will begin to understand for the first time the meaning of the Huizhou Opera troupes entering Beijing, and how a young man from Qianshan two hundred years ago transformed the map of Chinese opera through voice and artistry.

At the ancient opera stage of Wanjian, an old performer may even break into song on the spot.
In that moment, past and present meet, and Peking Opera no longer feels like a museum relic, but like a living breath still moving through the world.

Xuehu by Night, An opera dream by the water

During the day, the competition takes place at the theater of Qianshan Cultural Park, where young Peking Opera enthusiasts from across the country perform by role type and vocal style in spirited contest.

But the truly unforgettable hours arrive at night.
At seven o’clock each evening, lights glow across the Xuehuli Grand Stage, reflections shimmer on the water, and the sound of gongs and drums rises into the air.

This is the time of the Jinghuang Grand Stage — with 20 to 30 programs each night, masters, amateurs, students, and performing groups all have the chance to step into the spotlight.
There is none of the tension of competition here, only pure sharing and love for the art.

From the second to the fourth evening, the Youth Opera Enthusiasts Showcase presents both fully costumed and plain vocal performances.
From the fifth to the seventh evening, the Opera Fans Carnival fills the nights with group acts and original productions.
On opening night, the themed gala “Pilgrimage to Changgeng” brings celebrated masters and outstanding young performers together on one stage in tribute — a visible expression of artistic inheritance across time.

Sit beside Xuehu Lake, feel the evening breeze, and watch ripples move across the water as the singing drifts outward from the stage.
You will begin to understand how naturally opera and landscape belong together — both value resonance, suggestion, and the beauty of what remains unspoken.

Watch and Learn, Opera as living education

What if your child wants not only to watch opera, but to learn it?

Every morning at 9:30, the Master Lecture Hall opens on schedule at the Jinghuang Art Experience Hall in the study camp.
Voice, movement, schools of performance, and the artistry of Cheng Changgeng are all taught in person by judges and experts, free of charge to contestants and local opera teachers.

After each lecture, there is also a contestant review session.
A child who competes during the day may receive face-to-face guidance from a master that very evening — an opportunity beyond price.

Over the course of eight days, the schedule is designed with balance and ease: lectures in the morning, competitions or observation in the afternoon, performances or sightseeing in the evening.
Rather than feeling exhausted, children are likely to settle into the gentle rhythm of this small city and become truly immersed in it.

One journey, Double rewards

The organizing committee has carefully designed two study-travel routes:

• Route A: Changgeng Cultural Route — former residence, memorial hall, Changgeng Pavilion, and training base. This is a route of tribute, but also a route of cultural awakening.

• Route B: Landscape and Culture Route — the main peak of Tianzhushan and the cliff inscriptions of Valley Spring Cultural Park. This is a route of nature and also a route of relaxation.

The two routes can be freely combined.
Contestants may visit Tianzhushan free of charge with their competition credentials, and parents receive half-price admission.
Across eight days, families have plenty of time to experience the finest highlights of Qianshan together.

Even more thoughtfully, each evening the Xuehu Historic District hosts a Peking Opera cultural and creative fair, costume experiences, and a specialty market.
Children can dress in opera costumes for photos, paint their own facial masks, and bring home memories shaped by the beauty of China’s national art.

Why Come, Because it is more than a competition

A judging panel of distinguished Peking Opera artists from Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, and Anhui, together with an artistic observation group, will score performances on site with full transparency and official notarization to ensure fairness.

There will be 8 first prizes, 12 second prizes, and 16 third prizes, along with special honors such as the Changgeng New Talent Award, Qianshan Resonance Award, and Best Stage Presence Award.
Every child’s unique spark will have the chance to be seen.

But more important than awards is the complete cultural experience a child can gain here:

• At Cheng Changgeng’s former residence, they understand the roots of Peking Opera.

• On Tianzhushan, they feel the spiritual vitality of mountains and waters.

• In the Master Lecture Hall, they learn movement and performance skills beyond any classroom.

• On the Xuehuli Grand Stage, they may sing before hundreds of people for the first time.

• They make friends from across the country who share the same love for Peking Opera.

Eight days — is that long?
Not short.
But long enough to plant a seed in a child’s heart: a seed of passion, inheritance, and beauty.

Participation, How to join

• Event dates: July 26 to August 2, 2026 (registration on July 25)

• Location: Qianshan, Anhui Province

• Categories: Children’s Group (ages 6–12); Youth Group (ages 13–25)

• Performance format: Full-costume singing or plain singing; 3–6 minutes; healthy content that promotes the classics

• Registration: Follow the official public account and partner media platforms; online and offline registration, along with video pre-screening, will be open from April to June

• Online warm-up activity: The Douyin hashtag #SingingPihuangInChanggengsHometown is now live; upload your child’s singing video, and the top 10 by likes will advance directly to the semifinal round or performance showcase

This summer, bring your child to Qianshan.
Not to compete for competition’s sake, but to hear the resonance of landscape and Pihuang at the foot of Tianzhushan, to watch moonlight and stage lights meet by Xuehu, and to let your child encounter, across two centuries, the spirit of the operatic world in the hometown of Cheng Changgeng.

Travel through mountains and waters to watch opera — and both on and off the stage, everything becomes scenery.