Culture

Gaojia Opera

Gaojia Opera is one of local operas with the widest spread area and the most audiences among various kinds of operas in Southern Fujian. Its singing method includes "Southern Music", "Puppet Tune" and folk ditty, Southern Music being the main. It uses Wen and Wu musical instruments. The accompaniment of musical instruments includes wind instrument, suona, flute, two-stringed fiddle and three- stringed fiddle.

Xiang Opera

Xiang Opera is also called Taiwanese Opera which is a local opera performed in Southern Fujian dialect. It generally has male roles, female roles, painted roles and clown roles with nuanced performance in humorous and comical expressions. The formation of Xiang Opera is closely related to the development of Taiwan by people from Southern Fujian and the introduction of folk opera.

Dazuigu

Dazuigu is a kind of comic talking and singing art popular in Xiamen and Southern Fujian. It is also called "Bickering in telling stories", "Paizuigu" or "Dazui song". Dazuigu is a verbal battle between two persons, similar to the cross talk of the north, but not the same. It adopts strictly rhyming dialogues with strong linguistic rhythm, skillfully uses rich and colorful, vivid and lively, comical and humorous Southern Fujian dialect and slang and fold adage, applies complex rhyme structure of Southern Fujian dialect with rhythmic and musical effect to constitute rhythmic language, focuses on the display of plots and the portrayal of figures, pays attention to the artistic means of "guessing" and "bursting out jokes" to achieve the comic artistic effect.

Nanyin

Nanyin is also called "Southern Opera" and "Southern Music" which is honored as the "living fossil" of music culture. It originated from the pre- Qin period, flourished in the prosperous Tang Dynasty, formed in Song Dynasty, thus its singing method has reserved the old folk style before Tang Dynasty of the ethnic Han. The re- creation of singers and performers is free- style so the melodious and easy singing can make people lost in the sweetness and happiness of carefree life.

Breast-Clapping Dance

Since the Song Dynasty, the breast- clapping dance is carried forward in Southern Fujian. The basic movement of the breast- clapping dance is mainly beat, clap, grip, stamp and squat by using the breast, elbows, legs and palms. The performers keep their heads high and chests out, and jump with vigorous squat step and comfortable head shaking to display rough, simple, comical and passionate styles.