A scene of the modern opera The Red Guards on Honghu Lake staged in Ningbo, East China's Zhejiang province on May 12. [Photo/Ningbo Evening News]

The Red Guards on Honghu Lake, a modern opera performed by Hubei Opera and Dance Troupe, was staged in Ningbo, East China's Zhejiang province on May 12.

This was the second time the opera was staged in Ningbo, following its debut in the city on December 15, 2004.

Since its premiere in Beijing in 1959, the opera has become one of the most well-known national operas. It later became a household name in the country following its film adaptation.

The opera is based on the true story of the Red Army defending their homeland at Honghu Lake, the seventh largest fresh lake in China, in the 1930s.

To date, the opera has been staged more than 3,000 times nationwide. The current showings are part of performances to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China in Ningbo.                            

A scene of the modern opera The Red Guards on Honghu Lake staged in Ningbo, East China's Zhejiang province on May 12. [Photo/Ningbo Evening News]

A scene of the modern opera The Red Guards on Honghu Lake staged in Ningbo, East China's Zhejiang province on May 12. [Photo/Ningbo Evening News]