Anhui Opera: Towards Maintaining a Historical Regional Dramatic Opera Tradition in Contemporary China

Abstract

Anhui Opera is a vital part of Huizhou culture that spread over centuries to more than half of China. It occupies an important position in the history of traditional music. Yet Anhui Opera was on the verge of extinction prior to the foundation of the People’s Republic of China. Only after 1949, when this new government adopted a policy of conservation, was Anhui Opera able to rise again from obscurity. This thesis aims to reveal the charm and significance of Anhui Opera by exploring its main stylistic characterises as primarily develop in Hefei, old Huizhou (now Huangshan city) and Anquing in China’s Anhui Province. It offers an ethnomusicological investigation of the contentious issues of the Anhui Opera’s origins, its distinctiveness from the other Chinese opera styles, and the influence of present cultural policies on its continuing development. It examines the historical development of the Anhui Opera Troupe (Anhui-Peking Opera Theatre) in Anhui Province, and the contemporary revival of Anhui Opera in recent times. It concludes that Anhui Opera most likely originated in Huizhou in the south of Anhui Province, but also became popular in Shipai. It also demonstrates how suitable government cultural policies play a decisive role in the survival and transmissions of Anhui Opera and considers avenues for further research.