Shanxi opera, or Jin opera, is the most prominent form of Chinese opera form in the province of Shanxi. Jin opera is one of the four great operatic traditions of Shanxi, along with Pu opera, Beilu clapper opera 北路梆子, and Shangdang clapper opera 上党梆子. Shanxi opera developed in central Shanxi during the Qing dynasty, by incorporating local rice-planting song styles into Puju, a related genre from southern Shanxi.[1][2] In the early 20th century, the popularity of Shanxi opera spread into other provinces like Hebei, Shaanxi, Gansu, and Inner Mongolia, thanks to the dominance of Shanxi merchants in Chinese trade.[2]
| Shanxi opera | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Traditional Chinese | 晉劇 | ||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 晋剧 | ||||||||
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Male roles are usually played by women.[2]