Chao Opera

Year: 2006

Sort: Traditional Opera

Area: Guangdong

Serial No.: Ⅳ-4

Declarer: Shantou and Chaozhou cities, Guangdong province

Chao Opera, also called "Chaozhou Opera," is a local opera performed in the Chaozhou dialect with a history over 430 years. It is popular in the Chao'an and Shantou regions of Guangdong province, in the southern area of Fujian province and in Taiwan where people speak the Chaozhou dialect. It is also performed in Chinese communities in other countries of Southeast Asia.

Based on the folk dances and ballad singing of the Chaozhou region, it formed its own style under the influence of Southern opera, one of the oldest Chinese operas that originated in the Song Dynasty (960-1279).

Its tunes are graceful and pleasant and full of local color. The old form of choral accompaniment still retains its special features. The clowns and females are the most distinctive characters. The female performers are good at imitating the movements of animals, shadow figures and puppets, creating very pleasing and amusing effects. The fan-playing and acrobatic skills are especially unique.

Chao Opera can be divided into four roles i.e. sheng (of the role of a male actor), dan (the role of a female actor), jing (the actor with a painted face) and chou (the role of a clown). It has strong local features and is one of Guangdong's three major local operas. Chaozhou music is a kind of locally featured music.