Cantonese Opera

Actors perform Cantonese Opera during a project funded by China National Arts Fund at the Nanjing Zijin Grand Theater in Nanjing, capital of east China's Jiangsu Province, Aug. 21, 2017.

Cantonese opera (粤剧) first appeared in the Qing Dynasty, originally under the influence of kunqu and yiyangqiang (another old opera type) and later absorbing elements from Anhui opera, Hubei opera and Guangdong folk tunes. Thanks to the rich assortment of musical instruments employed, its varied tunes and its readiness to innovate, the opera has grown rapidly to become a major operatic form in Guangdong and Guangxi and also among overseas Chinese communities in Southeast Asia and America.