Gaojia opera

Gaojia opera (simplified Chinese: 高甲戏; traditional Chinese: 高甲戲; pinyin: Gāojiǎ xì; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Ko-kah-hì) is a form of Chinese opera popular in Fujian province in the People's Republic of China. It is famous for its various chou, or clown roles. The form emerged at the end of the Ming Dynasty. It was originally an improvised form that was part of a religious parade. The performances from these parades developed into Songjiang drama, which told stories about the character Songjiang from the Chinese classic Water Margin and featured acrobatics and a relatively simple plot. In the middle of the Qing Dynasty, it absorbed the influences of Hui opera (徽戏), Beijing opera, and Yiyang music. All music accompanying Gaojia opera is in the style of southern China, and is also influenced by Liyuan opera.