Lianhualao opera, also known as Lianhuale or lianhuanao, is a local folk art performance in Shaoxing. The name is derived from the short interlude lines such as "Li Li Lianhualao" in the performance. But another saying has it that Lianhualao changed its name from "Sanhuale" in the Tang Dynasty to "Lianhuale" and then "Lianhualao" in the later generations. Owing to its vivid and lively singing, the popular and lucid libretto, plain and fluent aria, and its thick life atmosphere, Lianhualao opera is widely loved by the general public.
According to historical record, Lianhualao opera was already popular in the Song and Yuan Dynasties. In the early years of Republic of China, influenced by the Ling'a tune and Xuanjuan tune in Yueju opera, the actor Tang Maosheng adopted the method of tune connecting and created a set of basic aria. The performance form also changed from singing along the street for begging money to the formal performance on the stage. Later, many sections of story lines grew into stories with plots, and they were called "Jieshi" (literally, section poem). Most of the content is about the folk life, and most of the protagonists are the farmer and farmwife, or handicraftsman; one Jieshi tells a simple story, and it features buffoonery, overstatement, irony and humor. Afterwards, the long shuochang (sing and talking) appeared, which still took folk tales, anecdotes and legends as subject matters, and even borrowed and absorbed the plays of other kinds of dramas and Shuochang. In recent years, Shaoxing Lianhualao opera has developed greatly in aspects of performance, singing and music. The lute, dulcimer (yangqin), urheen and flute are added to the accompaniment. According to the requirement of the plot, Shaoju opera, Yueju opera, and even folk songs and ballads are used sometimes. Two male actors' performance has also been tried in Shaoxing Lianhualao opera; it not only gives play to the singing and talking, but also adds performance part.
Shaoxing Lianhualao opera is usually performed by three actors. The singing in the early stage is Ligongchi tune and the basic tune in the late stage. In Ligongchi tune, one actor leads the singing, while the other two sing as supplement. One actor hit the clapper and drum to produce the rhythm, and all the singing is unaccompanied singing. According to the rhythm and beat, it can be divided to Pingban and Zouban. From the 1920s, Shaoxing Lianhuadiao opera changed the previous mode of one actor singing with others assisting the singing, and developed the basic tune which went around to the present. The singing and talking mode is that one actor holds a Sanqiaoban, paper fan, and a gavel on the desk. In the accompaniment, one actor plays the Qiaoban, another plays the Sihu (four-stringed instrument), and the third one plays the lute, which is used to serve the singing in Pingban. Two-person performance by a male and female has been trying in Shaoxing Lianhualao opera. Apart from singing and talking, performance is also adopted.
