The institutional reconstruction of Puzhou Opera of Shanxi province under the impact of population floating in China

Population floating from rural areas to cities in China has significantly disrupted the traditional environment for local performing arts. Consequently, the tradition of Puzhou Opera, which is practiced in Shanxi province, China, faces a critical turning point: this mass movement has created an institutional vacuum in the transmission of the art form, as traditional patronage and ritual support systems dissolve. In response, the art genre is relocating its ground, finding a new operational base within a university. However, this transition raises a fundamental problem: how does a rural heritage survive inside a modern academic institution? Based on seven years of ethnographic fieldwork (2017–2024) at Yuncheng University, this article tracks the specific mechanics of this institutional reconstruction. Key interventions include formalizing oral traditions into a curriculum, integrating veteran artists as co-mentors, and expanding the theater’s reach through digital platforms. These steps have effectively created a structural framework that sustains the transmission for new performers. While digital platforms help reach audiences, they also threaten to compromise the authentic style of the art. Ultimately, this case offers a broader lesson in cultural sustainability: even as their rural habitat dissolves, traditional arts can persist by transplanting themselves into institutional and digital ecosystems.

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