Stage reunion for "A Dream of Red Mansion"

It's been 50 years since the premiere of the Yueju opera version of the classic Chinese tale "A Dream of Red Mansion". Three generations of opera stars have reunited on stage to celebrate the occasion.(Photo: CCTV.com)

It's been 50 years since the premiere of the Yueju opera version of the classic Chinese tale "A Dream of Red Mansion". Three generations of opera stars have reunited on stage to celebrate the occasion.(Photo: CCTV.com)

It's been 50 years since the premiere of the Yueju opera version of the classic Chinese tale "A Dream of Red Mansion". Three generations of opera stars have reunited on stage to celebrate the occasion.(Photo: CCTV.com)

BEIJING, Sept. 17 -- The just-passed Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival is traditionally a time for family get-togethers. This message of reunion was recreated on stage for the Yueju Opera in Shanghai.

It's been 50 years since the premiere of the Yueju opera version of the classic Chinese tale "A Dream of Red Mansion".

Three generations of opera stars have reunited on stage to celebrate the occasion.

Long before the opera opened, fans lined up at the theatre to await the memorable night.

The roles of the tragic lovers, Jia Baoyu and Lin Daiyu, are played by three different pairs of actors. They represent the three generations during the opera's 50 years of history.

Yueju is a Chinese operatic genre unique to the Shanghai area. "A Dream of Red Mansion" has helped the genre to achieve a national favor. Its premiere in 1958 attracted as many as 80,000 theater goers. Over the 50 years, it has been staged numerous times and is regarded as an masterpiece of traditional Chinese opera.

To celebrate the opera's 50th anniversary, a variety of activities including exhibitions and seminars will be held.