To attract a bigger audience, especially those who are not Peking Opera fans, Qian's team invited actor Li Guangfu, a fan of Peking Opera, to play the role of the theater's boss.

The new TV program, Encountering the Past, follows on a popular program, Classic Collections, which showcased refurbished footage of traditional Chinese opera masters.

"With Encountering the Past, we will repair and bring these old audio materials to life. We plan to produce 10 episodes in the first season," says Qian.

Contact the writer at chennan@chinadaily.com.cn