What is the type of opera that is sung and recited in the Anqing dialect?

Huangmei Opera (黄梅戏), formerly known as Huangmei Tune (黄梅调) or Caicha Opera (采茶戏), is one of the five major Chinese opera genres. It is also one of the four outstanding opera genres in Anhui, alongside the Lu Opera, Hui Opera and Sizhou Opera. Huangmei Opera originated from the tea-collecting tunes of Huangmei in the border of Hubei, Anhui and Jiangxi provinces. At the end of the Qing Dynasty, it was introduced into the neighboring areas of Anhui Province, such as Huaining County, and combined with local folk art, and sang and recited in the Anqing dialect, and gradually developed into a new opera genre.

It was once known as "Huai Cavity" and "Anhui Opera". Huangmei Opera is a simple and fluent singing style, characterized by bright lyricism and rich expressiveness. The performances are simple and meticulous, and are famous for their authenticity and liveliness. It has become an important means of interpretation and dissemination of traditional Chinese culture.

Huangmei Opera was originally known as "Huangmei tea ceremony", originated in the early Tang Dynasty. During the Qianlong period, Huangmei County, Hubei, around the Dabie Mountain tea-picking tune into the neighboring areas of Anhui Province, such as Huaining County, and the combination of local folk art, and with the Anqing dialect singing and recitation, and gradually developed into a new type of opera. Later, Huangmei Opera borrowed and absorbed the music, performances and repertoire of Qingyang Cavity and Hui Tune, and began to perform "this opera". But as a local opera, Huangmei Opera also has certain limitations.

Many of the recitations and lyrics are in the local language, and the plots reflect stories and characters familiar to the people. Huangmei Opera is often performed in the big book of the play, is limited to men and women love, ethics and morality, etc., seldom performed to reflect the major historical themes and literary classics of the play. Huangmei Opera has long been limited to performances in Anqing and other parts of Anhui Province, which has also limited its horizons and perspectives. The inheritors of Huangmei Opera have realized this, made a lot of efforts, and achieved certain breakthroughs.

Huangmei Opera is a genre of opera that was formed and developed gradually from mountain songs, rice-planting songs, tea songs, tea-light picking, and flower-drum tunes, first in the countryside and then in the city. His origin can be traced back to the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, but the formation of a complete theater, it is still a modern thing. During this time, he absorbed the essence of Han opera, Chu opera, Gaoqiang, Caicha opera, Peking opera and many other sister arts, so that he gradually perfected and became a famous play.

While talking about this famous opera, one cannot help but notice that the group performing this opera has also gone through such a long development process. He is also from scratch, from small to large, from simple to complex, gradually perfected. It can also be said that the formation and development of Huangmei opera and the formation and development of his performing groups are complementary.

The origin of Huangmei opera can be traced back to the Tang Dynasty. According to historical records, as early as the Tang Dynasty period, Huangmei tea-picking songs were prevalent, through the development of folk songs in the Song Dynasty, the influence of Yuan Dynasty miscellaneous plays, and gradually formed the prototype of folk opera. To the Ming and Qing Dynasties, Huangmei County theater more prevalent. Ming Chongzhen years, Huangmei County Governor Zeng Weilun in the "Huangmei Wind Education" in the "October for the countryside theater" account. Qing Daoguang nine years, in the Bei Jilin's "ask the flower of the Water Parlor Poetry Collection", a bamboo stick lyrics description is more vivid: "cloudy mountain rice fungus more, too white lake fishing wave. Meet this year to honor the master of the society, the village sings tea-picking song.