The Sound of Hangzhou

3 min read

Hangzhou has a variety of choices for opera lovers.If you like listening to gentle melodies and watching some classic Chinese romances，then Yue opera is probably your best bet-with its easy-to-follow story lines and dulcet tones.But if you want to avoid all the pomp and circumstance，try Xiaorehun ，Hangzhou’s homegrown opera that originated in the Qing Dynasty，which includes Hangzhou’s distinctive dialect and an added sense of authenticity.Lastly，while in Hangzhou，you can also pick up some Kunqu opera-classified by UNESCO as an Intangible World Cultural Heritage-or perhaps some Suzhou Pingtan.

Yue Opera

In the late Qing Dynasty，farmers in Zhejiang’s Sheng County created a new type of performance that combined talking and singing in the local dialect.Farmers acted and sang the extraordinary events of the day and，of course，the legends of long ago.These performances drew local crowds that could identify with the unique performance，earning it the nickname，“Xiaogeban”，meaning“small opera”.

In 1906，influenced by Western thought，intellectuals started a wave of constitutional movements，during which different regions made their own laws.The tiny area of ShengCounty was no exception.Under these new laws，this type of Xiaogeban performance was banned；luckily，most people refused to acknowledge it and the art form continued to grow At the turn of the century，the government was corrupt，the economy was stagnant，and the silk industry-a pillar of Zhejiang’s economy-was in freefall.But，Xiaogeban thrived，with performances in other cities in Zhe jiang.

In Shanghai，Xiaogeban actors were initially laughed at by elitist local crowds who thought shows from such humble，rural origins could not be taken seriously；this sparkedthe birth of Yue opera，a formalized version of Xiaogeban that absorbed influences from other operatic traditions and used elaborate sets，costumes，and musical arrangements.

Around this time，this art form added a crucial element:women.Influenced by the women’s liberation movement in Shanghai，the romantic stories and soft melodies played and performed by these early actresses attracted bigger crowds.Thus，Yue opera was born and it became a female-dominated medium.Today，femininity is still a ma jor feature of Yue opera，and male roles are often taken by female performers.

Making friends with Yue opera actresses and buying beautiful costumes for them became a fashion among the high-class women of Shanghai，effectively a form of patronage.Artists from around the country would come to craft scripts for this medium，the most well-known of which are”The Butterfly Lovers”，“Dream of the Red Mansion”，and“The Story of the Western Wing”.

Today，Yue opera is still popular，especially in Zhe jiang Province and Shanghai.In Hangzhou，the best place to catch a performance is at the Hangzhou Grand Theatre and Hangzhou Yiyuan Theatre.

If you’re not sure if Yue opera is for you，Huanglongdong Park is a good place to start.It features 20-minute shows throughout the day.Another reason to start here is because they’re frequented by older opera fans who will be happy to walk you through the more difficult bits.