The Historical Origin of Tea-picking Opera in South Guangxi

Tea-picking drama in southern Guangxi was introduced to Bobai from southern Jiangxi in the late Ming Dynasty (AD 1628), and it developed from singing bamboo and horses to singing and dancing to picking tea. According to the characteristics of interlining, it is also called "protecting calf teeth". In the Qing Dynasty, it formed a unique performance style, and gradually matured in the Republic of China, becoming an independent drama in China's traditional operas. After liberation, the tea-picking drama spread in Qinzhou, western Guangdong, was called Hepu Tea Picking, which was popular in Yulin, Guangxi. Later, because Qinzhou was placed in Guangxi, the two merged, and it was officially named "Tea-picking Opera in South Guangxi", which was called sister art with the same color tone as that in North Guangxi. Under the guidance of the policy of "letting a hundred flowers blossom", tea-picking opera in South Guangxi flourished. Bobai county tea-picking drama has been widely popularized, and more than 300 troupes (teams) have been established successively. 1978 set up the tea-picking drama art research group, an institution specializing in tea-picking drama research. 1982, with the approval of the cultural department of the autonomous region, the former county professional performance group-Art Troupe was renamed Bobai County Tea Picking Troupe.