Han Opera

Han opera, formerly known as Chu tune or Han tune, took shape during the Qing Kangxi–Qianlong era and matured by the Jiaqing–Daoguang reigns. With more than three centuries of history, it spread across Hubei and into neighboring provinces.

Han opera is built mainly on the xipi and erhuang vocal styles and pioneered their fusion, enriching the expressive range of metered-aria music; it has refined role categories, over four hundred tune patterns and a repertoire said to number eight hundred plays.

In the history of Chinese opera, Han opera made a distinctive contribution to the formation of Peking opera and influenced regional forms such as Sichuan, Hunan, Cantonese and Jiangxi opera.

Wuhan is a stronghold of Han opera, where professional troupes have long carried on its transmission and performance.