Illustration: Liu Xidan/GT

It is not every day that a Hogwarts professor belts out the soaring arias of Peking Opera on the streets of Beijing. Yet, in a recent viral video on Chinese social media, the sight of a perfectly costumed Severus Snape - wand in hand, robe billowing - delivering Peking Opera lines in front of a Platform 9? sign caused an online sensation. The camera pans and reveals "Dumbledore" and "McGonagall" joining in, while "Gryffindor students" in full house regalia strum and bow on traditional Chinese instruments like the erhu. This collision of cultures unfolds as a surprisingly harmonious spectacle, a vivid demonstration of how cross-cultural mashups are breathing new life into ancient art forms.

A user on China's lifestyle-sharing platform RedNote, or Xiaohongshu, with the handle "Xingzoudelianlian" rushed to the scene and filmed the "interesting performance" that lasted for around 30 minutes. The netizen told the Global Times on Thursday that this was a Harry Potter-themed event, so no one expected to see a Peking Opera performance. 

"Many people stopped to watch and record the performance because it felt so unique and intriguing. The collision of these two distinct cultures was incredibly fun. I feel like I understand Peking Opera better and can truly appreciate its charm, while the magical Harry Potter vibe allowed even more people to enjoy it," the netizen said.

Twenty-something Xiaojiang was also immersed in the performance. She told the Global Times that elements such as the performers' gestures, the vivid expressions and the elaborate costumes drew most of the audience deeper into the atmosphere.

These two young people both admitted that, for them, by weaving in characters and motifs from globally beloved franchises such as Harry Potter, these mashups lower the barrier to entry for traditional Chinese culture - particularly those like Peking Opera.

The globally recognized imagery of Harry Potter serves as an entry point, reinvigorating the vocal styles, stylized movements, and narrative motifs of Peking Opera. Through short video platforms, secondary creations transform passive viewing into an interactive "reproduction" for young audiences. 

By retaining core elements such as vocal techniques, character roles, and traditional stylization - those "hardcore" aspects of the art - the greater the contrast with external symbols, the more efficient the viral spread. From a communication perspective, this approach greatly enhances the transmission of traditional culture among younger generations, according to Zhang Peng, a cultural researcher and associate professor at Nanjing Normal University.

In this way, cross-cultural mashups become powerful engines for sparking curiosity and fostering affection for heritage arts.

Today, other mediums, such as television, are also showcasing trends in which young people are leading cultural dialogues. For example, a newly launched variety show, Wow the World, uses the "40th parallel north" - a golden cultural belt - as its narrative thread. The show follows a group of young individuals starting their journey in Beijing and traveling to nations including Spain and Italy, bringing elements of Chinese culture along with them. At each destination, the collision and exchange of diverse cultures highlight the unique charm and profound heritage of Chinese culture. As noted by Yao Jing, Chinese ambassador to Spain, this cultural interplay underscores the depth and appeal of China's cultural legacy.

What is most remarkable about these performances and programs is their demonstration of cultural exchange as a living, two-way process. On the one side, Peking Opera leverages the universal language of pop culture to reach broader and more diverse audiences. On the other side, the very act of presenting Harry Potter characters in Peking Opera form invests those global icons with a new layer of meaning, infusing them with Chinese aesthetics, values, and artistic expression. This is not cultural subordination, but mutual enrichment - a process in which both sides emerge transformed.

Yet, the success of such fusions raises important questions about artistic integrity and cultural balance. While the Harry Potter costumes and references draw crowds, they also risk overshadowing the very traditions they aim to promote. If the spectacle of seeing Snape or Dumbledore on a Beijing street becomes the main attraction, does it dilute the essence of Peking Opera itself? Zhang noted that for these experiments to truly benefit traditional art forms, they must not merely borrow the veneer of foreign pop culture, but use it as a door to invite deeper appreciation for the art's core: its music, its movement, its stories, and its values.

Maintaining this balance is crucial. Over-reliance on pop culture can lead to superficial engagement, where the original cultural context and artistry of traditional art forms are lost amid the flash of cosplay and viral marketing. The challenge for artists and producers is to harness the power of pop icons without allowing them to overpower the traditional forms they are meant to spotlight. 

A mashup should serve as a catalyst, sparking genuine interest and leading audiences to discover the richness of the tradition itself. At its best, this fusion becomes a two-way conversation: Tradition gains new pathways to relevance, while pop culture icons are endowed with unexpected cultural dimensions.

The author is a reporter with the Global Times. life@globaltimes.com.cn