Tongzi opera (original) (raw)

Tongzi opera (Chinese: 童子戏 or 僮子戏; pinyin: Tóngzǐxì), also known as Tong opera (Chinese: 通剧; pinyin: Tōngjù), is a regional form of Chinese opera popular in the rural areas of Nantong in southeastern Jiangsu province. It is traditionally sung in Nantong dialect and accompanied by gong and drum. The form resulted from the blending of a local religious activity called shang tongzi (Chinese: 上僮子; pinyin: shàng tóngzǐ) with theatre. In 2008, it was included in the national intangible cultural heritage list.