Elaborate Costumes and Dramatic Plots Make this a Local Favorite

Ok, Chinese opera isn’t an only-in-Hong-Kong thing, but it is hugely popular in Hong Kong. Chinese opera, which predates the first Western opera by about 600 years, can trace its roots to the Tang Dynasty (618-906), when China’s first opera troupe was founded. As it gained popularity and spread to China’s vast regions, different regional styles emerged. Even today, there are noted differences among operas performed, say, in Peking, Canton, and Sichuan. In Hong Kong, Beijing and Cantonese opera are the most popular, both with elaborate makeup and costumes, acting that can include feats of acrobatics, and accompanying Chinese instruments or singing and chanting.

Developed as a way to reach the masses before there was public education, plots often revolve around historic events or extol virtues like loyalty. Although performances vary, actor-singers often sing in a shrill falsetto, accompanied by musicians. Exaggerated body language helps translate the stories (such as rowing a boat or opening a door), while costumes designate the character of each role (yellow, for example, is worn by emperors).