Xiju Opera

Xiju opera was once called tanhuang. One account places its origin in the northeastern countryside of Wuxi, hence the name Xitan. As Wu-dialect tanhuang spread from the Qianlong-Jiaqing era, professional performers emerged by the Daoguang reign and the folk ballad-singing grew into an independent opera form.

Its singing centers on the huangdiao melody, with dozens of additional tunes, and has produced distinctive vocal schools such as the Yao, Wang and Shen styles. The performance is delicate and the lyrics plain-spoken.

Xiju is one of Jiangsu's principal local operas, deeply rooted in the life of the Taihu region, and entered the second batch of the national intangible heritage list in 2008.