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Cantonese opera is one of the major categories in
Chinese opera Traditional Chinese opera (), or ''Xiqu'', is a form of musical theatre in China with roots going back to the early periods in China. It is an amalgamation of various art forms that existed in ancient China, and evolved gradually over more tha ...
, originating in southern China's
Guangdong Guangdong (, ), alternatively romanized as Canton or Kwangtung, is a coastal province in South China on the north shore of the South China Sea. The capital of the province is Guangzhou. With a population of 126.01 million (as of 2020 ...
Province. It is popular in Guangdong,
Guangxi Guangxi (; ; alternately romanized as Kwanghsi; ; za, Gvangjsih, italics=yes), officially the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region (GZAR), is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China, located in South China and bordering Vietnam ...
,
Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a List of cities in China, city and Special administrative regions of China, special ...
,
Macau Macau or Macao (; ; ; ), officially the Macao Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (MSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China in the western Pearl River Delta by the South China Sea. With a pop ...
and among Chinese communities in
Southeast Asia Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical south-eastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of mainland ...
. Like all versions of Chinese opera, it is a traditional Chinese art form, involving music, singing,
martial arts Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defense; military and law enforcement applications; competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; and the preser ...
,
acrobatics Acrobatics () is the performance of human feats of balance, agility, and motor coordination. Acrobatic skills are used in performing arts, sporting events, and martial arts. Extensive use of acrobatic skills are most often performed in acr ...
, and acting.


History

There is debate about the origins of Cantonese opera, but it is generally accepted that opera was brought from the northern part of China and slowly migrated to the southern province of Guangdong in the late 13th century, during the late
Southern Song dynasty The Song dynasty (; ; 960–1279) was an imperial dynasty of China that began in 960 and lasted until 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song following his usurpation of the throne of the Later Zhou. The Song conquered the res ...
. In the 12th century, there was a theatrical form called the Nanxi or "Southern drama", which was performed in public theatres of
Hangzhou Hangzhou ( or , ; , , Standard Chinese, Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ), also Chinese postal romanization, romanized as Hangchow, is the capital and most populous city of Zhejiang, China. It is located in the northwestern part of the prov ...
, then capital of the Southern Song. With the invasion of the
Mongol The Mongols ( mn, Монголчууд, , , ; ; russian: Монголы) are an East Asian ethnic group native to Mongolia, Inner Mongolia in China and the Buryatia Republic of the Russian Federation. The Mongols are the principal member ...
army, Emperor Gong of the Song dynasty fled with hundreds of thousands of Song people into Guangdong in 1276. Among them were Nanxi performers from
Zhejiang Zhejiang ( or , ; , also romanized as Chekiang) is an eastern, coastal province of the People's Republic of China. Its capital and largest city is Hangzhou, and other notable cities include Ningbo and Wenzhou. Zhejiang is bordered by Ji ...
, who brought Nanxi into Guangdong and helped develop the opera traditions in the south. Many well-known operas performed today, such as '' Tai Nui Fa'' originated in the
Ming Dynasty The Ming dynasty (), officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming dynasty was the last ort ...
and ''The Purple Hairpin'' originated in the
Yuan Dynasty The Yuan dynasty (), officially the Great Yuan (; xng, , , literally "Great Yuan State"), was a Mongol-led imperial dynasty of China and a successor state to the Mongol Empire after its division. It was established by Kublai, the fif ...
, with lyrics and scripts in
Cantonese Cantonese ( zh, t=廣東話, s=广东话, first=t, cy=Gwóngdūng wá) is a language within the Chinese (Sinitic) branch of the Sino-Tibetan languages originating from the city of Guangzhou (historically known as Canton) and its surrounding a ...
. Until the 20th century all the female roles were performed by males.


Early development in Shanghai

In the 1840s, a large number of Guangdong businessmen came to Shanghai for opportunities. They owned abundant resources, therefore, their influence in Shanghai has gradually increased (Song, 1994). Later, various clansmen associations have been established to sponsor different cultural activities, Cantonese opera was one of them. From the 1920s to the 1930s, the development of Cantonese opera in Shanghai was very impressive (Chong, 2014). At that time, the department stores opened by the Cantonese businessmen in Shanghai had their Cantonese opera theater companies. Moreover, the Guangdong literati in Shanghai always put great effort into promotions of Guangdong opera. A newspaper recorded that "The Cantonese operas were frequently played at that time. And the actors who came to perform in Shanghai were very famous. Every time many Cantonese merchants made reservations for inviting their guests to enjoy the opera".(Cheng, 2007)


Development in Hong Kong

Beginning in the 1950s immigrants fled Shanghai to areas such as North Point. Their arrival significantly boosted the Cantonese opera fan-base. Also, the Chinese Government wanted to deliver the message of socialist revolution to Chinese people under colonial governance in
Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a List of cities in China, city and Special administrative regions of China, special ...
. Agents of the Chinese government founded newspaper platforms, such as Ta Kung Pao () and Chang Cheung Hua Pao () to promote Cantonese Opera to the Hong Kong audience. These new platforms were used to promote new Cantonese Opera releases. This helped to boost the popularity of Cantonese Opera among the Hong Kong audience. Gradually, Cantonese Opera became a part of daily entertainment activity in the colony. The popularity of a Cantonese Opera continued to grow during the 1960s. More theatres were established in Sheung Wan and Sai Wan, which became important entertainment districts. Later, performances began to be held in playgrounds, which provided more opportunities to develop Cantonese Opera in Hong Kong. As the variety of venues grew, so the variety of audiences became wider. However, Cantonese Opera began to decline as TV and cinema started to develop in the late 1960s. Compared to Cantonese Opera, cinema was cheaper and TV was more convenient. Subsequently, some theatres started to be repurposed as commercial or residential buildings. The resulting decline in available theatres further contributed to the decline of Cantonese Opera in the territory. Since the demolition of Lee Theatre and the closing down of many stages (Tai Ping Theatre, Ko Shing Theatre, Paladium Theatre, Astor Theatre or former Po Hing Theatre, Kai Tak Amusement Park and Lai Chi Kok Amusement Park) that were dedicated to Cantonese genre throughout the decades, Hong Kong's Sunbeam Theatre is one of the last facilities that is still standing to exhibit Cantonese Opera. By the early 1980s, Leung Hon-wai was one of the first in his generation of the Chinese Artists Association of Hong Kong (hkbarwo) who gave classes and actively engaged in talent-hunting. The Cantonese Opera Academy of Hong Kong classes started in 1980. To intensify education in Cantonese opera, they started to run an evening part-time certificate course in Cantonese Opera training with assistance from
The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (HKAPA) (Chinese: 香港演藝學院) is a provider of tertiary education in Hong Kong. Located near the north coast of Wan Chai on Hong Kong Island, the main campus also functions as a venue for pe ...
in 1998. In 1999, the Association and the Academy further conducted a two-year daytime diploma programme in performing arts in Cantonese Opera in order to train professional actors and actresses. Aiming at further raising the students' level, the Association and the Academy launched an advanced course in Cantonese opera in the next academic year. In recent years, the Hong Kong Arts Development Council has given grants to the Love and Faith Cantonese Opera Laboratory to conduct Cantonese opera classes for children and young people. The Leisure and Cultural Services Department has also funded the International Association of Theatre Critics (Hong Kong Branch) to implement the "Cultural Envoy Scheme for Cantonese Opera" for promoting traditional Chinese productions in the community. Also, the Hong Kong Government planned to promote Cantonese Opera through different communication channels. They wanted to build more theatres for the Hong Kong public to have more opportunities to enjoy Cantonese Opera. The scheme also arrived to develop professional talents in Cantonese Opera. Cantonese Opera became a part of the compulsory Music subject in primary school. For teachers, the Education Bureau provided some training and teaching materials related to Cantonese Opera.


Art festivals

In the first decade of the Hong Kong Arts Festivals and the Festivals of Asian Arts, Cantonese opera performances contributed by those representing the lion share of the market, (well-established troupes, well-known performers Lang Chi Bak as well as
Leung Sing Poh Leung Sing Poh MBE (1908 – 12 February 1981) was an actor, host and former Cantonese opera performer from Hong Kong. Leung was a pioneer actor of TVB, and was also the former chairman of Chinese Artist Association of Hong Kong from 1965 to ...
in their golden years or prominent performers in their prime) are:- Fung Wong-nui (1925–1992) :1974, 2nd Hong Kong Arts Festival (self-financing 3 titles) ::《薛平貴》''Xue Pinggui'' ::《胡不歸》''Time To Go Home'' ::《貍貓換太⼦》''Substituting a Racoon for the Prince'' :1979, 7th Hong Kong Arts Festival* :1980, 8th Hong Kong Arts Festival Lam Kar Sing (1933–2015), bearer of the tradition handed down by
Sit Gok Sin Sit commonly refers to sitting. Sit, SIT or Sitting may also refer to: Places * Sit (island), Croatia * Sit, Bashagard, a village in Hormozgan Province, Iran * Sit, Gafr and Parmon, a village in Hormozgan Province, Iran * Sit, Minab, a village ...
and owner of name brand/tradition (personal art over lucrative "for hire" careers in films or on stage) as well as volunteer tutor to two ( 1987, 2008) students handpicked right out of training schools :1976, 1st Festival of Asian Arts :1977, 2nd Festival of Asian Arts ::《雙槍陸文龍》''Lu Wen-long'' ::《紅樓寶黛》 '' Bao and Dai of Red Chamber'' :1978, 6th Hong Kong Arts Festival* ::《梁祝恨史》'' Butterfly Lovers'' :::Yam-Fong title :::For two decades a regular if opposite Lee Bo-ying :::Loong Kim Sang lost the only compatible co-star for this title in 1976 :::One of many traceable artistic interpretations of same legend :::Lam forged his own (still opposite Lee Bo-ying) in November 1987 and made that the contemporary prevailing version :1978, 3rd Festival of Asian Arts :1980, 5th Festival of Asian Arts :1982, 7th Festival of Asian Arts :1984, Chinese Opera Fortnight () ::《胡不歸》''Time To Go Home'' – the contemporary prevailing version ::《雷鳴金鼓戰笳聲》''The Sounds of Battle'' ::《三夕恩情廿載仇》''Romance and Hatred'' ::《無情寶劍有情天》''Merciless Sword Under Merciful Heaven'' *Last time both
Lang Chi Bak Lang may refer to: * Lang (surname), a surname of independent Germanic or Chinese origin Places * Lang Island (Antarctica), East Antarctica * Lang Nunatak, Antarctica * Lang Sound, Antarctica * Lang Park, a stadium in Brisbane, Australia * L ...
(1904-1992)and
Leung Sing Poh Leung Sing Poh MBE (1908 – 12 February 1981) was an actor, host and former Cantonese opera performer from Hong Kong. Leung was a pioneer actor of TVB, and was also the former chairman of Chinese Artist Association of Hong Kong from 1965 to ...
performed was in 1979.
Loong Kim Sang Loong Kim Sang (born 4 November 1944) is a Cantonese opera performer. She is widely regarded as a pioneer in playing “ Wenwusheng” lead male roles, combining literary opera and martial arts scenes. Childhood and training Loong was born Lee Pu ...
:1983, 8th Festival of Asian Arts :1984, 9th Festival of Asian Arts ::《帝女花》'' Di Nü Hua'' ::《紫釵記》''The Purple Hairpin'' ::《紅樓夢》'' Dream of Red Chamber'' :::40 years since Yam's best known role and title (opposite Chan Yim Nung) in 1944 :::New script debuted in November 1983 :::Contemporary prevailing version ::《花田八喜》''Mistake at the Flower Festival'' ::《再世紅梅記》''The Reincarnation of a Beauty'' ::《牡丹亭驚夢》''The Peony Pavilion'' :1985, 10th Festival of Asian Arts Obscure groups of experimental nature, let alone those late boomers without market value, were not on the map or in the mind of those organizing these events. That changed since the 40 something Leung Hon-wai found his way to the stepping stone or launching pad he desired for pet projects of various nature.


Public funding

To continue the tradition by passing on what elders and veterans inherited from former generations and to improve sustainability with new and original music, lyrics and scripts. *Cantonese Opera Development Fund * Hong Kong Arts Development Council, Grants Heritage is as abstract a concept as traditions is while monetary support is real. However, elders are not
ombudspersons An ombudsman (, also ,), ombud, ombuds, ombudswoman, ombudsperson or public advocate is an official who is usually appointed by the government or by parliament (usually with a significant degree of independence) to investigate complaints and at ...
in any sense and they take public funds for their own reasons. That is, they are knee deep in commercial performances even as a member of the above organizations. A juren a century ago can be an adjunct associate professor now in Hong Kong. How business was conducted in a community by a juren was illustrated by Ma Sze Tsang in a film called the ''Big Thunderstorm (1954)''. Trend-setting figure, Leung Hon-wai, talked on camera about his doctrine related to new titles he wrote and monetary backings from the various Hong Kong authorities. That is, ''art festivals'' provided him financial means, identity, advertising resources and opportunities not otherwise available. Curious audience makes good box-office for the only 2–3 shows of a single new title. In addition, he only paid 50% to collect the new costumes in his procession for future performances of different titles. A
Sit Kok Sin Sit commonly refers to sitting. Sit, SIT or Sitting may also refer to: Places * Sit (island), Croatia * Sit, Bashagard, a village in Hormozgan Province, Iran * Sit, Gafr and Parmon, a village in Hormozgan Province, Iran * Sit, Minab, a village ...
classic fetched HK$105,200 plus in 2015. The parents who had over 100 years of experience combined found sharing the stage with their son as not feasible without subsidies for Golden Will Chinese Opera Association and Wan Fai-yin, Christina. ''Time To Go Home'' is different from those Leung debuted at arts festivals since:- #This 1939 Sit classic has been a
rite of passage A rite of passage is a ceremony or ritual of the passage which occurs when an individual leaves one group to enter another. It involves a significant change of social status, status in society. In cultural anthropology the term is the Anglicisat ...
for new performers to become prominent male leads. #It only involves minimum costumes, props and crew size. #It is popular as afternoon fillers by third tier performers in bamboo theaters. In 2019, Yuen Siu Fai talked on radio that he found the readily available funding made beneficiaries financially irresponsible, unlike himself and others who put their own money where their mouths were. Yuen, who works regularly for troupes with secure public funding, did not draw a link between his two roles. Contrary to Africa, the ''entire village'' is responsible for raising the children of a certain crowd only. Both political and social guanxi is making or breaking the future of up-and-coming performers in the same way as whether Bak Yuk Tong is remembered as one of the Four Super Stars or not. According to Yuen, Bak is anti-communist and therefore his status is different in Mainland China (PRC).


Crowdfunding Crowdfunding is the practice of funding a project or venture by raising money from a large number of people, typically via the internet. Crowdfunding is a form of crowdsourcing and alternative finance. In 2015, over was raised worldwide by cro ...


Private funding

*The Art of Fong Yim-fun Sustainability Project, Shaw College,
CUHK The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) is a public research university in Ma Liu Shui, Hong Kong, formally established in 1963 by a charter granted by the Legislative Council of Hong Kong. It is the territory's second-oldest university and ...
.
In August 2014, the Fong Yim Fun Art Gallery was formally opened. * Dr. Yang Leung Yin-fong Katie, the Honorary Life Chairman, donated one of her properties to be the permanent office of the Chinese Artists Association of Hong Kong to provide residences for aged musicians.


Jumping the shark

In 2019,
Yuen Siu Fai Yuen is a Cantonese Chinese surname, which can refer to: 袁, 阮, 元, 源, 原 and 苑 *Yuan (surname), the Pinyin transliteration of the Han Chinese surnames 袁, 元, 源, 原 and 苑 *Ruan (surname), the Pinyin transliteration of the Han Chin ...
said that old performers are to stay front and center on stage as long as they want to take center stage instead of sharing, let alone ceding, the limelight to the next or even younger generations. Yuen insists that performers without bags under their eyes could not be any good. In 2018, Law Kar Ying said Chan Kam Tong had already ''jumped the shark'' in the mid-1950s, more than ten years before Chan actually left the stage or more than 60 years for it to be confirmed to the public. The (Yuen, Law and others) generation with bags under their eyes picked up where Leung left off. By such, these old performers are upholding the Chan tradition and making up records along the way. However, the Chan
caliber In guns, particularly firearms, caliber (or calibre; sometimes abbreviated as "cal") is the specified nominal internal diameter of the gun barrel bore – regardless of how or where the bore is measured and whether the finished bore matc ...
of masters needed no directors. Two performers Chan worked with closely, who definitely left the stage at will with dignity, are
Yam Kim Fai Yam Kim-fai (, 4 February 1913 (Lunar 29 December 1912 – 29 November 1989), also known as Ren Jianhui was a renowned Cantonese opera actress in China and Hong Kong. Yam was most notable for her unique ability to sing in the lower register. Th ...
and Fong Yim Fun. They both openly rebuked (in 1969 and in 1987 respectively in no harsher way than what
Lam Kar Sing Lam or LAM may refer to: Organizations * Laguna Art Museum, California, US * Lam Eng Rubber, a Malaysian manufacturer * Lam Research, American semiconductor equipment company * LAM Mozambique Airlines, flag carrier airline of Mozambique * Librarie ...
and his wife did in 1983) individual off-springs who were under their wings briefly but officially. The popularity of Yam-Fong in Hong Kong continues to thrive notwithstanding their apparent lack of official successors as Loong Kim Sang and Lee Bo Ying picked up where they left off. Cantonese opera in Hong Kong rocketed around 1985/86, according to
Li Jian, born Lai Po Yu Li, li, or LI may refer to: Businesses and organizations * Landscape Institute, a British professional body for landscape architects * Leadership Institute, a non-profit organization located in Arlington, Virginia, US, that teaches "political te ...
, (), an observer.
De facto ''De facto'' ( ; , "in fact") describes practices that exist in reality, whether or not they are officially recognized by laws or other formal norms. It is commonly used to refer to what happens in practice, in contrast with '' de jure'' ("by l ...
successors to master performers,
Lee Bo Ying Lee may refer to: Name Given name * Lee (given name), a given name in English Surname * Chinese surnames romanized as Li or Lee: ** Li (surname 李) or Lee (Hanzi ), a common Chinese surname ** Li (surname 利) or Lee (Hanzi ), a Chinese s ...
, Lam Kar Sing, and
Loong Kim Sang Loong Kim Sang (born 4 November 1944) is a Cantonese opera performer. She is widely regarded as a pioneer in playing “ Wenwusheng” lead male roles, combining literary opera and martial arts scenes. Childhood and training Loong was born Lee Pu ...
all left the stage in or before 1993, last watershed moment of Cantonese opera for Hong Kong and beyond in the 20th century. The consequences are also significant and long lasting. Unlike Fong and Loong, Yam and Lee never returned. For the rest of her life, Yam didn't even take the bow at curtain calls although she was in the audience on most days that Loong's troupe performed in Hong Kong. Comfortable enough around Yam, Yuen called Yam lazy because she did not comment on some cake served backstage in those days.


All for naught

Local Teochew opera troupes lost their ground regarding live-on-stage
Ghost Festival The Ghost Festival, also known as the Zhongyuan Festival (traditional Chinese: 中元節; simplified Chinese: ) in Taoism and Yulanpen Festival () in Buddhism, is a traditional Taoist and Buddhist festival held in certain East Asian countrie ...
opera performances when the business environment was destroyed. Since then, the Teochew category disappeared in Hong Kong. Chan Kim-seng, the former chairperson of Chinese Artists Association of Hong Kong, saw similar threats towards Cantonese opera and fought ''tooth and nail'' for job security of members. Chan, Representative Inheritor of Cantonese opera in the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, passed away on 19 August 2013.


Characteristics

Cantonese opera shares many common characteristics with other Chinese theatre genres. Commentators often take pride in the idea that all Chinese theatre styles are similar but with minor variations on the pan-Chinese music-theatre tradition and the basic features or principles are consistent from one local performance form to another. Thus, music, singing, martial arts, acrobatics and acting are all featured in Cantonese opera. Most of the plots are based on
Chinese history The earliest known written records of the history of China date from as early as 1250 BC, from the Shang dynasty (c. 1600–1046 BC), during the reign of king Wu Ding. Ancient historical texts such as the ''Book of Documents'' (early chapter ...
and famous
Chinese classics Chinese classic texts or canonical texts () or simply dianji (典籍) refers to the Chinese texts which originated before the imperial unification by the Qin dynasty in 221 BC, particularly the "Four Books and Five Classics" of the Neo-Confuci ...
and myths. Also, the
culture Culture () is an umbrella term which encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, customs, capabilities, and habits of the individuals in these groups ...
and philosophies of the Chinese people can be seen in the plays. Virtues (like loyalty, love, patriotism and faithfulness) are often reflected by the operas. Some particular features of Cantonese opera are: #Cing sik sing (程式性; ''Jyutping'': cing4 sik1 sing3) – formulaic, formalised. #Heoi ji sing (虛擬性; ''Jyutping'': heoi1 ji5 sing3) – abstraction of reality, distancing from reality. #Sin ming sing (鮮明性; ''Jyutping'': sin1 ming4 sing3) – clear-cut, distinct, unambiguous, well-defined. #Zung hap ngai seot jing sik (綜合藝術形式; ''Jyutping'': zung3 hap6 ngai6 seot6 jing4 sik1) – a composite or synthetic art form. #Sei gung ng faat (四功五法; ''Pinyin'': sì gōng wǔ fǎ, ''Jyutping'': sei3 gung1 ng5 faat3) – the four skills and the five methods. The ''four skills'' and ''five methods'' are a simple codification of training areas that theatre performers must master and a metaphor for the most well-rounded and thoroughly-trained performers. The ''four skills'' apply to the whole spectrum of vocal and dramatic training: singing, acting/movements, speech delivery, and martial/gymnastic skills; while the ''five methods'' are categories of techniques associated with specific body parts: hands, eyes, body, hair, and feet/walking techniques. The acting, acrobat, music and singing, live on stage, are well known as essential characteristics of ''live'' performances in theaters. Recordings did not replace the human voice backstage behind prop only when choir members were actually introduced to the audience at curtain call.


Significance

Before widespread formal education, Cantonese opera taught morals and messages to its audiences rather than being solely entertainment. The government used theatre to promote the idea of ''be loyal to the emperor and love the country'' (). Thus, the government examined the theatre frequently and would ban any theatre if a harmful message was conveyed or considered. The research conducted by Lo showed that Cantonese Operatic Singing also relates older people to a sense of collectivism, thereby contributing to the maintenance of interpersonal relationships and promoting successful ageing. (Lo, 2014). Young people construct the rituals of learning Cantonese opera as an important context for their personal development.


Operas of Deities

Cantonese opera is a kind of Operas of Deities. Operas for Deities are often performed in celebration of folk festivals, birthdays of deities, establishments or renovations of altars and temples. A community organises a performance of opera, which is used to celebrate the birth of the gods or to cooperate with the martial arts activities, such as "Entertaining People and Entertaining God" and "God and People". These performances can be called " Operas for Deities ". This king of acting originated from the Ming Dynasty and the Qing Dynasty. It was also called the sacred drama in the performance of God's birthday. It is a meritorious deed for God. According to the study, most of the Cantonese operas in Hong Kong belong to the Operas for Deities, and the nature of the preparations of the "God Circus" can be broadly divided into three categories: the celebration of the gods, the Hungry Ghost Festival, the Taiping Qing Dynasty, the temple opening and the traditional festival celebrations. In the 1960s−1970s, the Chinese opera was at a low ebb. However, due to the support of Opera for Deities, some of the troupes can be continue to perform. In the 1990s, the total performance rate of Operas for Deities has been reduced from two-thirds to two-fifths in the 1980s, there is no such thing as a performance in the Cantonese opera industry.


Performers and roles


Types of play

There are two types of Cantonese opera plays: ''Mou'' (武, "martial arts") and ''Man'' (文, "highly educated", esp. in poetry and culture). ''Mou'' plays emphasize war, the characters usually being generals or warriors. These works contain action scenes and involve a lot of weaponry and armour. ''Man'' plays tend to be gentler and more elegant. Scholars are the main characters in these plays. Water sleeves are used extensively in ''man'' plays to produce movements reflecting the elegance and tenderness of the characters; all female characters wear them. In ''man'' plays, characters put a lot of effort into creating distinctive facial expressions and gestures to express their underlying emotions.


Roles

There are four types of roles: Sang ( Sheng), Daan (
Dan Dan or DAN may refer to: People * Dan (name), including a list of people with the name ** Dan (king), several kings of Denmark * Dan people, an ethnic group located in West Africa **Dan language, a Mande language spoken primarily in Côte d'Ivoir ...
), Zing ( Jing), and Cau ( Chou).


Sang

The Sang (; Sheng) are male roles. As in other Chinese operas, there are different types of male roles, such as: *Siu2 Sang1 () – Literally, ''young gentleman'', this role is known as a young scholar. *Mou5 Sang1 () – Male warrior role. *Siu2 Mou5 Sang1 () – Young Warrior (usually not lead actor but a more acrobatic role). *Man4 Mou5 Sang1 () – Literally, ''civilized martial man'', this role is known as a clean-shaven scholar-warrior. Actresses for close to a century, of three generations and with huge successes worldwide, usually perform this male role are
Yam Kim Fai Yam Kim-fai (, 4 February 1913 (Lunar 29 December 1912 – 29 November 1989), also known as Ren Jianhui was a renowned Cantonese opera actress in China and Hong Kong. Yam was most notable for her unique ability to sing in the lower register. Th ...
(mentor and first generation),
Loong Kim Sang Loong Kim Sang (born 4 November 1944) is a Cantonese opera performer. She is widely regarded as a pioneer in playing “ Wenwusheng” lead male roles, combining literary opera and martial arts scenes. Childhood and training Loong was born Lee Pu ...
(protégée and second generation),
Koi Ming Fai or more specifically , are colored varieties of the Amur carp (''Cyprinus rubrofuscus'') that are kept for decorative purposes in outdoor koi ponds or water gardens. Koi is an informal name for the colored variants of ''C. rubrofuscus'' kept ...
and
Lau Wai Ming Lau Wai Ming () is an accomplished Cantonese opera artist from Hong Kong specializing in scholar-warrior roles (). She graduated from Belilios Public School Belilios Public School (, abbreviated as BPS) is the first government school for gi ...
(the two youngest listed below both by age and by experience). *Lou5 Sang1 () – Old man role. *Sou1 Sang1 () – Bearded role


Daan

The Daan (旦;
Dan Dan or DAN may refer to: People * Dan (name), including a list of people with the name ** Dan (king), several kings of Denmark * Dan people, an ethnic group located in West Africa **Dan language, a Mande language spoken primarily in Côte d'Ivoir ...
) are female roles. The different forms of female characters are: *Faa1 Daan2 () – Literally flower' of the ball'', this role is known as a young belle. *Yi6 Faa1 Daan2 (二花旦) – Literally, ''second flower'', this role is known as a supporting female. *Mou5 Daan2 (武旦) – Female warrior role. *Dou1 Maa5 Daan2 (刀馬旦) – Young woman warrior role. *Gwai1 Mun4 Daan2 (閨門旦) – Virtuous lady role. *Lou5 Daan2 (老旦) – Old woman role.


Zing

The Zing (淨; Jing) are known for painted-faces. They are often male characters such as heroes, generals, villains, gods, or demons. Painted-faces are usually: *Man4 Zing2 (文淨) – Painted-face character that emphasizes singing. *Mou5 Zing2 (武淨) – Painted-face character that emphasizes martial arts. Some characters with painted-faces are: * Zhang Fei (張飛; Zœng1 Fei1) and Wei Yan (魏延; Ngai6 Jin4) from ''Three Humiliations of Zhou Yu'' (三氣周瑜; Saam1 Hei3 Zau1 Jyu4). *
Xiang Yu Xiang Yu (, –202 BC), born Xiang Ji (), was the Hegemon-King (Chinese: 霸王, ''Bà Wáng'') of Western Chu during the Chu–Han Contention period (206–202 BC) of China. A noble of the Chu state, Xiang Yu rebelled against the Qin dyna ...
(項羽; Hong6 Jyu5) from ''
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'' (霸王別姬; Baa3 Wong4 Bit6 Gei1). *
Sun Wukong The Monkey King, also known as Sun Wukong ( zh, t=孫悟空, s=孙悟空, first=t) in Mandarin Chinese, is a legendary mythical figure best known as one of the main characters in the 16th-century Chinese novel '' Journey to the West'' ( zh, ...
(孫悟空; Syun1 Ng6 Hung1) and Sha Wujing (沙悟凈; Saa1 Ng6 Zing6) from '' Journey to the West'' (西遊記; Sai1 Jau4 Gei3).


Cau

The Cau (丑; Chou) are clownish figures. Some examples are: *Cau2 Sang1 () – Male clown. *Cau2 Daan2 () – Female clown. *Man4 Cau2 () – Clownish civilized male. *Coi2 Daan2 () – Older female clown. *Mou5 Cau2 () – Acrobatic comedic role.


Notable people


Major Cantonese Opera artists

Major Cantonese Opera (Stage) Career Artists include: * nurtured generation.


The Female Leads

This is a list of female Cantonese opera performers who are known for female leads ():


Female Vocal Styles

This is a list of female Cantonese opera performers who are known for her own female vocal styles ():


The Male Leads

This is a list of female Cantonese opera performers who are known worldwide for singing and performing as male leads. They each has or had spent decades on stage, managed own troupe and established own repertoire as career performers.():


Great Male Vocals

This is a list of female Cantonese opera singers who are known as Four Great Male Vocals ():


Four Super Stars

This is a list of male Cantonese opera performers who are known as Four Super Stars ():


Four Super Clowns

This is a list of male Cantonese opera performers who are known as Four Super Clowns (Cau) ():


Visual elements


Makeup

Applying makeup for Cantonese opera is a long and specialized process. One of the most common styles is the "white and red face": an application of white foundation and a red color around the eyes that fades down to the bottom of cheeks. The eyebrows are black and sometimes elongated. Usually, female characters have thinner eyebrows than males. There is black makeup around the eyes with a shape similar to the eyes of a Chinese phoenix (鳳眼; fung6 ngaan5).
Lipstick Lipstick is a cosmetic product used to apply coloration and texture to lips, often made of wax and oil. Different pigments are used to produce color, and minerals such as silica may be used to provide texture. The use of lipstick dates bac ...
is usually bright red (口唇膏; hau2 seon4 gou1). A female-role actress is in the processes of applying her markup: spreading a creamy. foundation on her cheeks and forehead; putting blusher on her cheeks, eyelids and both sides of the nose; darling her eyebrows and drawing eye-lines and eye-shadows; pasting hairpieces around her face to create an oval-shaped look; lipstick has been put on prior to this; placing hairpins on the hairpiece. Actors are given temporary facelifts by holding the skin up with a ribbon on the back of the head. This lifts the corners of the eyes, producing an authoritative look. Each role has its own style of make-up: the clown has a large white spot in the middle of his face, for example. A sick character has a thin red line pointing upwards in between his eyebrows. Aggressive and frustrated character roles often have an arrow shape fading into the forehead in between the eyebrows (英雄脂; jing1 hung4 zi1). Strong male characters wear "open face" (開面; hoi1 min4) makeup. Each character's makeup has its own distinct characteristics, with symbolic patterns and coloration.


Costumes

Costumes correspond to the theme of the play and indicate the character being portrayed. Costumes also indicate the status of the characters. Lower-status characters, such as females, wear less elaborate dresses, while those of higher rank have more decorative costumes. Prominent performers () listed above, playing the six main characters (generally a combination of 2 Sang, 2 Daan, Zing, and Cau), are usually supposed to pay for their own costumes. Over time, these performers would reinvest their income into their wardrobe which would give an indication of their success. A performer's wardrobe would be either sold or passed on to another performer upon retirement. To career performers, sequin costumes are essential for festive performances at various "Bamboo Theatres" (). These costumes, passed from generation to generation of career performers, are priceless according to some art collectors. With time, the materials used for the costumes changed. From the 1950s to the 1960s, sequins were the most prevalent material used for designing the costumes. Nowadays, designers tends to use
rhinestones A rhinestone, paste or diamante is a diamond simulant originally made from rock crystal but since the 19th century from crystal glass or polymers such as acrylic. Original Originally, rhinestones were rock crystals gathered from the river ...
or foil fabric (). Compared to sequins, rhinestones and foil fabric are lighter. However, many older generation performers continue to use sequins and they regard them as more eye-catching on stage. Most of the costumes in Cantonese Opera come from traditional design. Since costume design is largely taught through
apprenticeship Apprenticeship is a system for training a new generation of practitioners of a trade or profession with on-the-job training and often some accompanying study (classroom work and reading). Apprenticeships can also enable practitioners to gain a ...
s, costume design remains largely constant. Some designers are taught the skill from family members, inheriting a particular style. In 1973,
Yam Kim Fai Yam Kim-fai (, 4 February 1913 (Lunar 29 December 1912 – 29 November 1989), also known as Ren Jianhui was a renowned Cantonese opera actress in China and Hong Kong. Yam was most notable for her unique ability to sing in the lower register. Th ...
gave
Loong Kim Sang Loong Kim Sang (born 4 November 1944) is a Cantonese opera performer. She is widely regarded as a pioneer in playing “ Wenwusheng” lead male roles, combining literary opera and martial arts scenes. Childhood and training Loong was born Lee Pu ...
, her protégée, the complete set of sequin costumes needed for career debut leading her own commercial performance at
Chinese New Year Chinese New Year is the festival that celebrates the beginning of a new year on the traditional lunisolar and solar Chinese calendar. In Chinese and other East Asian cultures, the festival is commonly referred to as the Spring Festival () a ...
Bamboo Theatre.舞台下的龍劍笙
14 November 2015
Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a List of cities in China, city and Special administrative regions of China, special ...
Some costumes from famous performers, such as
Lam Kar Sing Lam or LAM may refer to: Organizations * Laguna Art Museum, California, US * Lam Eng Rubber, a Malaysian manufacturer * Lam Research, American semiconductor equipment company * LAM Mozambique Airlines, flag carrier airline of Mozambique * Librarie ...
and Ng Kwun-Lai, are on loan or donation to the Hong Kong Heritage Museum.


Hairstyle, hats, and helmets

Hats and helmets signify social status, age and capability:
scholar A scholar is a person who pursues academic and intellectual activities, particularly academics who apply their intellectualism into expertise in an area of study. A scholar can also be an academic, who works as a professor, teacher, or researche ...
s and
official An official is someone who holds an office (function or mandate, regardless whether it carries an actual working space with it) in an organization or government and participates in the exercise of authority, (either their own or that of their su ...
s wear black hats with wings on either side; generals wear helmets with pheasants' tail feathers; soldiers wear ordinary hats, and
king King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen regnant, queen, which title is also given to the queen consort, consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contempora ...
s wear crowns. Queens or princesses have jeweled helmets. If a hat or helmet is removed, this indicates the character is exhausted, frustrated, or ready to surrender. Hairstyles can express a character's emotions: warriors express their sadness at losing a battle by swinging their ponytails. For the female roles, buns indicated a maiden, while a married woman has a 'dai tau' (). In the Three Kingdoms legends,
Zhao Yun Zhao Yun ( ) (died 229), courtesy name Zilong (), was a military general who lived during the late Eastern Han dynasty and early Three Kingdoms period of China. Originally a subordinate of the northern warlord Gongsun Zan, Zhao Yun later came ...
and especially
Lü Bu Lü Bu () (died 7 February 199), courtesy name Fengxian, was a Chinese military general, politician, and warlord who lived during the late Eastern Han dynasty of Imperial China. Originally a subordinate of a minor warlord Ding Yuan, he betr ...
are very frequently depicted wearing helmets with pheasants' tail feathers; this originates with Cantonese opera, not with the military costumes of their era, although it's a convention that was in place by the Qing Dynasty or earlier.


Aural elements


Speech types

Commentators draw an essential distinction between sung and spoken text, although the boundary is a troublesome one. Speech-types are of a wide variety: one is nearly identical to standard conversational Cantonese, while another is a very smooth and refined delivery of a passage of poetry; some have one form or another of instrumental accompaniment while others have none; and some serve fairly specific functions, while others are more widely adaptable to variety of dramatic needs. Cantonese opera uses Mandarin or Guān Huà (Cantonese: Gun1 Waa6/2) when actors are involved with government, monarchy, or military. It also obscures words that are taboo or profane from the audience. The actor may choose to speak any dialect of Mandarin, but the ancient Zhōngzhōu () variant is mainly used in Cantonese opera. Zhōngzhōu is located in the modern-day
Henan Henan (; or ; ; alternatively Honan) is a landlocked province of China, in the central part of the country. Henan is often referred to as Zhongyuan or Zhongzhou (), which literally means "central plain" or "midland", although the name is a ...
province where it is considered the "cradle of Chinese civilization" and near the
Yellow River The Yellow River or Huang He (Chinese: , Mandarin: ''Huáng hé'' ) is the second-longest river in China, after the Yangtze River, and the sixth-longest river system in the world at the estimated length of . Originating in the Bayan Ha ...
. retains many of the initial sounds of many modern Mandarin dialects, but uses initials and codas from
Middle Chinese Middle Chinese (formerly known as Ancient Chinese) or the Qieyun system (QYS) is the historical variety of Chinese recorded in the '' Qieyun'', a rime dictionary first published in 601 and followed by several revised and expanded editions. The ...
. For example, the words and are both pronounced as /tsœːŋ˥˥/ () in Modern Cantonese, but will respectively be spoken as /tʂɑŋ˥˥/ () and /tɕiɑŋ˥˥/ () in operatic . Furthermore, the word is pronounced as /kɐm˥˥/ () in modern Cantonese and /tɕin˥˥/ () in standard Mandarin, but operatic Guān Huà will use /kim˥˥/ (). However, actors tend to use Cantonese sounds when speaking Mandarin. For instance, the command for "to leave" is and is articulated as /saː˨˨ tsʰɵy˧˧/ in operatic Guān Huà compared to /haː˨˨ hɵy˧˧ / () in modern Cantonese and /ɕi̯ɑ˥˩ tɕʰy˩/ () in standard Mandarin.


Music

Cantonese opera pieces are classified either as "theatrical" or "singing stage" (). The theatrical style of music is further classified into western music () and Chinese music (). While the "singing stage" style is always Western music, the theatrical style can be Chinese or western music. The "four great male vocals" () were all actresses and notable exponents of the "singing stage" style in the early 20th century. The western music in Cantonese opera is accompanied by strings,
woodwind Woodwind instruments are a family of musical instruments within the greater category of wind instruments. Common examples include flute, clarinet, oboe, bassoon, and saxophone. There are two main types of woodwind instruments: flutes and re ...
s,
brass Brass is an alloy of copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn), in proportions which can be varied to achieve different mechanical, electrical, and chemical properties. It is a substitutional alloy: atoms of the two constituents may replace each other wi ...
plus electrified instruments. Lyrics are written to fit the play's melodies, although one song can contain multiple melodies, performers being able to add their own elements. Whether a song is well performed depends on the performers' own emotional involvement and ability.


Musical instruments

Cantonese instrumental music was called ''ching yam'' before the People's Republic was established in 1949. Cantonese instrumental tunes have been used in Cantonese opera, either as incidental instrumental music or as fixed tunes to which new texts were composed, since the 1930s. The use of instruments in Cantonese opera is influenced by both western and eastern cultures. The reason for this is that
Canton Canton may refer to: Administrative division terminology * Canton (administrative division), territorial/administrative division in some countries, notably Switzerland * Township (Canada), known as ''canton'' in Canadian French Arts and ente ...
was one of the earliest places in China to establish trade relationships with the western civilizations. In addition, Hong Kong was under heavy western influence when it was a
British colony The British Overseas Territories (BOTs), also known as the United Kingdom Overseas Territories (UKOTs), are fourteen territories with a constitutional and historical link with the United Kingdom. They are the last remnants of the former Bri ...
. These factors contributed to the observed western elements in Cantonese opera. For instance, the use of '' erhu'' (two string bowed fiddle),
saxophone The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of Single-reed instrument, single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of brass. As with all single-reed instruments, sound is produced when a reed (mouthpi ...
s,
guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected string ...
s and the
conga The conga, also known as tumbadora, is a tall, narrow, single-headed drum from Cuba. Congas are staved like barrels and classified into three types: quinto (lead drum, highest), tres dos or tres golpes (middle), and tumba or salidor (lowest) ...
s have demonstrated how diversified the musical instruments in Cantonese operas are. The musical instruments are mainly divided into melodic and percussive types. Traditional musical instruments used in Cantonese opera include wind, strings and
percussion A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a beater including attached or enclosed beaters or rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or struck against another similar instrument. Exc ...
. The winds and strings encompass ''erhu'', '' gaohu'', '' yehu'', '' yangqin'', ''
pipa The pipa, pípá, or p'i-p'a () is a traditional Chinese musical instrument, belonging to the plucked category of instruments. Sometimes called the "Chinese lute", the instrument has a pear-shaped wooden body with a varying number of frets ran ...
'', '' dizi'', and '' houguan'', while the percussion comprises many different
drum The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel-Sachs classification system, it is a membranophone. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a ...
s and
cymbal A cymbal is a common percussion instrument. Often used in pairs, cymbals consist of thin, normally round plates of various alloys. The majority of cymbals are of indefinite pitch, although small disc-shaped cymbals based on ancient designs soun ...
s. The percussion controls the overall rhythm and pace of the music, while the ''gaohu'' leads the orchestra. A more martial style features the use of the '' suona''. The instrumental ensemble of Cantonese opera is composed of two sections: the melody section and the percussion section. The percussion section has its own vast body of musical materials, generally called ''lo gu dim'' () or simply ''lo gu'' (). These 'percussion patterns' serve a variety of specific functions. To see the pictures and listen to the sounds of the instruments, visi
page 1
an


Terms

This is a list of frequently used terms. *Pheasant feathers (雉雞尾; Cantonese: Ci4 Gai1 Mei5) :These are attached to the helmet in ''mou'' (武) plays, and are used to express the character's skills and expressions. They are worn by both male and female characters. * Water sleeves (水袖; Cantonese: Seoi2 Zau6) :These are long flowing sleeves that can be flicked and waved like water, used to facilitate emotive gestures and expressive effects by both males and females in ''man'' (文) plays. *Hand Movements (手動作; Cantonese: Sau2 Dung6 Zok3) :Hand and finger movements reflect the music as well as the action of the play. Females hold their hands in the elegant " lotus" form (荷花手; Cantonese: Ho4 Faa1 Sau2). *Round Table/Walking (圓臺 or 圓台; Cantonese: Jyun4 Toi4) :A basic feature of Cantonese opera, the walking movement is one of the most difficult to master. Females take very small steps and lift the body to give a detached feel. Male actors take larger steps, which implies travelling great distances. The actors glide across the stage while the upper body is not moving. *Boots (高靴; Cantonese: Gou11) :These are black
boot A boot is a type of footwear. Most boots mainly cover the foot and the ankle, while some also cover some part of the lower calf. Some boots extend up the leg, sometimes as far as the knee or even the hip. Most boots have a heel that is c ...
s with high white soles worn by males, which can impede walking. *Gwo Wai (過位; Cantonese: Gwo3 Wai6/2) :This is a movement in which two performers move in a cross-over fashion to opposite sides of the stage. *Deoi Muk (對目; Cantonese: Deoi3 Muk6) :In this movement, two performers walk in a circle facing each other and then go back to their original positions. *"Pulling the Mountains"' (拉山; Cantonese: Laai1 Saan1) and "Cloud Hands" (雲手; Cantonese: Wan4 Sau2) :These are the basic movements of the hands and arms. This is the MOST important basic movement in ALL Chinese Operas. ALL other movements and skills are based on this form. *Outward Step (出步; Cantonese: Ceot1 Bou6) :This is a gliding effect used in walking. *Small Jump (小跳; Cantonese: Siu2 Tiu3) :Most common in ''mou'' (武) plays, the actor stamps before walking. *Flying Leg (飛腿; Cantonese: Fei1 Teoi2) :A crescent kick. *Hair-flinging (旋水髮; Cantonese: Syun4 Seoi2 Faat3) :A circular swinging of the ponytail, expressing extreme sadness and frustration. *Chestbuckle/ Flower (繡花; Cantonese: Sau3 Faa1) :A flower-shaped decoration worn on the chest. A red flower on the male signifies that he is engaged. *Horsewhip (馬鞭; Cantonese: Maa5 Bin1) :Performers swing a whip and walk to imitate riding a horse. *Sifu (師傅; Cantonese: Si1 Fu6/2) :Literally, ''master'', this is a formal term, contrary to mentor, for experienced performers and teachers, from whom their own apprentices, other students and young performers learn and follow as disciples.


See also

* Cantopop * Red Boat Opera Company * Music of China * Music of Hong Kong *
Culture of Hong Kong The culture of Hong Kong is primarily a mix of Chinese culture, Chinese and Western culture, Western influences, stemming from Lingnan Cantonese roots and later fusing with British culture due to British British Empire, colonialism (Jyutping: ; ...
* Hong Kong Heritage Museum * Chinese Artists Association of Hong Kong


References


External links


Bay Area Cantonese Opera
( ttp://sfonline.barnard.edu/ps/printdle.htm original at barnard.edu {{DEFAULTSORT:Cantonese Opera Culture of Hong Kong Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity