Cantonese opera has won global recognition as cultural heritage worth protecting.
The colourful and intricate art form rooted in southern China has been declared part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by the United Nations.
The list, administered by Unesco, the UN's heritage body, aims to preserve legacies under threat from global change.
Cantonese opera troupes and governments from Guangdong, Macau and Hong Kong, where the opera originated, jointly submitted the application last year.
Chinese Artists Association vice-chairman Yuen Siu-fai was delighted with the news.
'Now that the art of Cantonese opera is recognised globally, I hope we Hongkongers can make use of the status and develop it, and not let it become a fossil,' he said. 'It's a good time and reason for the historical art form to reach out to a wider audience. Many young people don't try to appreciate the art and often blindly follow Western arts. I hope they will try to enjoy it now.'
To be on the list, Unesco says the heritage items have to be transmitted from generation to generation and provide communities and groups with a sense of identity and continuity.