Qiong Opera is sung in Hainan dialect. It was commonly known as "Tu Opera" in the Qing Dynasty, and "Zhai" in Qiongshan and Haikou areas. In the 20th century, it was also known as "Hainan Opera"; because it was formed in Qiongshan, where Qiongzhou was known in ancient times. , so overseas Chinese from Qiongzhou call it "Qiongzhou Opera" and "Qiongyin".

The name "Qiong Opera" began with the imitation puppet show in 1932, but there is no conclusive evidence. According to legends from old people and Qiong Opera artists in Qiongshan and Haikou, both Fujian Zhengzi Opera and Baizi Opera were performed in Hainan Island during the Ming and Qing Dynasties.

Both "Haikou Geographical Records" and "Haikou Fujian Guild Hall Stele Chronicles" include:

Fujian Guangdao ship is moored at Baisha Jinshen, where Chaozhou and Cantonese operas are often performed.

< p> records. The so-called "Teochew-Guangzhou opera" refers to Zhengzi opera and Teochew opera.

Some tunes of Qiong Opera are the same or similar to Teochew Opera. According to this, local opera is based on the tunes of Zhengzi opera and Chaozhou opera, and is sung in local accents. It also absorbs local folk songs and eight-music music, and was developed before the middle of the Qing Dynasty.

Hainan has a doll show, which should be the earliest in the late Song Dynasty and early Yuan Dynasty. The Jin soldiers went south and the Yuan Dynasty was established, which led to a sharp increase in immigrants coming to Qiong to escape the war. Among mainland immigrants, there are no wandering puppeteers.

Simple props and easy-to-master performing arts make puppetry easy to establish in Hainan Island. Puppetry originated in Kaifeng during the Northern Song Dynasty, and then flowed into Lin'an. When the Southern Song Dynasty was on the verge of death, it drifted to southern Fujian with Jianghu artists, and finally passed through eastern Guangdong, crossed the Qiongzhou Strait, and arrived at Hainan Island.

It is difficult to know for sure the form of puppet shows that were popular in Hainan Island at that time. However, later on in Wenchang and Qiongshan areas, puppet shows were still used to worship ancestors, worship gods, and perform weddings and funerals. It can be seen that the puppet shows at that time were also It's nothing more than rewarding gods and entertaining people.

However, the puppet show at that time was definitely different from the Hainan puppet show later. The former is part of the Zaju of the Song and Yuan Dynasties, while the latter is already a component of Qiong Opera culture. Its language, singing, music, and gongs and drums are all the same as those of Qiong Opera.

From 1740 to 1793, Nanhai, Panyu, Foshan, Jiangmen, Xinhui and other guild halls were built in Haikou. Fixed stone stages were built in front of these guild halls, and funds were raised every year to hire theater troupes from their hometowns to come to Haikou. show.

Some theater troupes also have classes to teach disciples, and some artists have settled in Hainan Island. For example, during the Guangxu period of the Qing Dynasty, the ancestor of Huang Kuangsheng, the famous Qiong opera actor, was the follower of Ban Hui who settled in Hainan during the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty. These foreign troupes have played a role in promoting the development of local opera, making it gradually mature as a performing art.

The period from Xianfeng to Guangxu in the Qing Dynasty was a period of prosperity and great changes in Qiong Opera. At that time, Cantonese opera artists flowed into Hainan Island, and they became apprentices to each other and married Qiong Opera artists. Some opened classes to teach opera, and some joined acting classes, which greatly promoted the prosperity of Qiong Opera.

At this time, Cantonese opera's Erhuang, Bangzi and other tunes, as well as the new and old "Jianghu" eighteen editions, were all absorbed by Qiong Opera, and based on these tunes, "Hainan tune" and other tunes were created Qiong opera gradually transformed from Qupai style to Banqiang style, and the original gong and drum scores, ditties, and Bangqiang tunes were also abandoned.

After the "May 4th" Movement, under the influence of Wenming Opera, Qiongya playwrights Wu Fafeng, famous Dan Zhang Lujin and others organized the Qiongya Native Opera Reform Society, and compiled and performed "National Salvation Movement", "New Marriage" ", "Provincial and Hong Kong General Strike" and other plays with progressive content and novel forms. More than ten other troupes have also compiled a number of plays with patriotic ideas, such as "Song of Righteousness", "Peach Blossom Fan", "Mulan Joins the Army", etc. During this period, Qiong Opera underwent reforms in both music and stage art.