Taiwanese opera
 |
|
| Classification | |
|---|---|
| Related instruments | |
Taiwanese (folk) opera (Chinese: ; pinyin: gēzǎixì; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: koa-á-hì; literally: "song-drama") is the only form of traditional drama known to have originated in Taiwan. The language used is a stylized combination of both literary and colloquial registers of Taiwanese Hokkien. Its earliest form adopted elements of folk songs from Zhangzhou, Fujian, China. The story elements are traditionally based on folk tales of the southern Fujian (Min Nan-speaking) region, though in recent years stories are increasingly set in Taiwan locales. Taiwanese opera was later exported to other Hokkien-speaking areas.
Taiwanese opera is considered as the embodiment of Taiwanese history and tradition because the political identity crisis of Taiwan shaped its development.
Taiwanese opera is the only form of Han traditional drama known to have originated in Taiwan, specifically the Gilan region on the northeast. In the early stages, most Han immigrants in Gilan were from Zhangzhou, Fujian, bringing with them the Zhangzhou dialect.
Koa-á were story-telling ballads spoken in Hokkien. Each line could have five- or seven- characters, and every four lines constituted a paragraph.
...
Wikipedia