Yunnan opera

[Photo from kunming.cn]

Yunnan opera evolved under the influence of other opera styles from the late Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) to the reign of Emperor Qianlong in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).

During the "cultural revolution" (1966-76), its traditional performances vanished and many outstanding performers were tortured. Since 1976, Kunming opera has revived and developed. With new plays created one after another, Yunnan opera has gradually thrived. There are now over 1,600 plays, of which 960 have been written down.