Background

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Known as Xiqu (戲曲), Chinese Opera is an art form which has been performed all over the country since the 4th century, making it one of the oldest forms of theatrical performance in the world. In folklore, performance is "an expressive activity that requires participation, heightens our enjoyment of an experience, and invites response."(Sims & Stephens)

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There are over 300 different forms of Chinese Opera, each originating from a different part of the country. The most popular of these styles include the Peking Opera, Sichuan Opera, Huangmei Opera and Cantonese Opera.

Performing in troops, actors typically train in one style of character for their entire life. The troops originally performed in noisy tea-houses but once they became established, opera houses were build especially for the shows. Not only were the stories told for entertainment, they were also used to educate or share political messages. 

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Today, the Chinese Opera is mostly a cultural symbol that helps the Chinese to remember their heritage and folk customs.

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The Chinese Opera not only tells folk tails, but it is indeed folk itself. In Living Folklore, one of the definitions it gives is:

“Folklore is the traditional, unofficial, non-institutional part of culture. It encompasses all knowledge, understandings, values, attitudes, assumptions, feelings, and beliefs transmitted in traditional forms by word of mouth or by customary examples.” (Sims & Stephens)

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Chinese Opera is just that. It arose from the people, it was a way of communication, a way to share customs and opinions, and it was a way of life for the actors and other troop members.

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