The 2025 Zijin Small Theater Showcase opened on November 23, highlighting a little-known local genre — even among many Jiangsu residents — called Danju Opera.

The four lead performers were just 18 years old on average. They presented a newly adapted play based on the Legend of the White Snake.

In this modern version, after the Leifeng Pagoda collapses, Bai Suzhen, the white snake spirit, awakens and accidentally wanders onto a 1924 film set. There, she reunites with the green snake, Xiaoqing, now a movie star, and Xu Xian, who is working as a screenwriter.

Danju is a folk theatre form from Danyang in Zhenjiang, and only one professional troupe remains nationwide. The genre has received sustained support in recent years.

In 2011, Danyang sent 19 middle school graduates to the provincial opera school for training. In 2023, Danju was added to Jiangsu's intangible cultural heritage list.

This year's showcase runs from November 23 to December 28, featuring 15 productions across small theatres in Nanjing.

The initiative of Zijin Small Theaters has become a key provincial platform for identifying and nurturing emerging talent, offering young playwrights, directors and actors a professional stage to present new works and engage in creative exchange.