A Liuqin Opera performance [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Liuqin Opera, also known as the “Lahun Tune”, originated during the mid-Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) and was popular in Jiangsu, Shandong, Anhui and Henan provinces.

Some people think Liuqin Opera is based on folk melodies from southern Shandong province while others believe it came from Meizhou, Jiangsu province.

Liuqin Opera has many traditional plays, such as “Sipingshan”, “Bapanshan”, and “Yanmenguan”. The gentle Hui tune and the bright Gong tune are the main arias in the opera, which is unique among Chinese operas. The performers need to switch between the two tunes throughout the play.

The opera is accompanied by a flute, erhu (two string fiddle), suona horn (a woodwind instrument), sheng (a kind of reed instrument) and bang drum.

Over a long period of time, the opera absorbed arias and forms of other local folk arts and is close to the lives of local people. It is a representative of local culture and art.

Liuqin Opera was listed among the national intangible cultural heritages on May 20, 2006.