A farmer writer in Baiyun District in Guangzhou is trying to promote Cantonese Opera which he believes is in danger of dying out.

The writer, Xie Gezhou, has written 100 operas over the past 30 years.

He recently gave a performance at the Southern Theatre House with a selection of six operas.

Xie, 56, started writing Cantonese Opera in the 1970s. After China's opening up and reform in 1980s', he started his own business, but his interest in operas did not diminish.

"Cantonese Opera writing is much more difficult than writing novels or short essays," Xie was quoted as saying by the Guangzhou Daily on Wednesday (Oct. 13th).

Xie was proud that his operas had been widely accepted by audiences.

"Most of his works reflect life in suburban and urban areas of Guangzhou. Most farmers are familiar with the life depicted in the operas," Xie said.

But Xie worries that he will have no successor to carry on the tradition of creating Cantonese Opera.

The number of people involved in creating Cantonese Opera works can be counted on the fingers and most of them are in their senior years. Xie hoped his performances would arouse interest in young people and encourage more to engage in the profession.

Editor: Catherine