The History of Opera

In 1972, Richard Nixon became the first US president to visit China since 1949. The aim was to warn diplomatic ties between the United States and Communist country during early days of Cold War. What better way to show Americans the fruits of a glorious revolution than with an opera? I showed Nixon one I wrote, called Red Detachment of Women. Naturally, he loved it. He asked who wrote and directed it. I told him. It was created by the people. Artistically, the opera had many critics. One influential party official said it contained not a trace of art. Ten years after the start of the Cultural Revolution, on the 9th of September, 1976, Mao died.