Against the backdrop of a national strategy to promote outstanding traditional Chinese culture, the inheritance of opera, a vital component of intangible cultural heritage, within school education is of paramount importance. This research employs a systematic textual analysis of mainstream music textbooks used in China's compulsory education sector to investigate the methods, content, and characteristics of Chinese opera's portrayal. The analysis focuses on the selection of opera pieces, the distribution of regional genres, the introduction of relevant cultural knowledge, and the design of teaching activities. The study finds that textbooks attempt to construct a systematic overview of the operatic tradition by including canonical excerpts and introducing representative genres. The manner of presentation not only emphasizes the transmission of artistic forms but also implies a deeper educational purpose: fostering students' cultural identity through opera education. This study concludes that music textbooks play a crucial mediating role between traditional opera and the younger generation, serving as a significant bridge connecting classroom education with cultural heritage transmission.