Huangmei Opera originated in Huangmei County, Hubei Province. Why did it flourish in Anhui?

Huangmei Opera originated in Huangmei, Hubei Province or Anqing, Anhui Province. Actually, there is nothing to argue about, because the official has long argued that it originated in Huangmei, Hubei Province and grew up in Anqing, Anhui Province.

Huangmei Opera is not only one of the five major operas in China, but also the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage. At that time, when the declaration was non-legacy, Hubei Huangmei and Anhui Anqing jointly declared. Before the declaration, it was recognized that Huangmei was the place of origin and Anqing was the place of development.

this conclusion is also verified. According to records, the earliest embryonic form of Huangmei Opera can be traced back to the tea-picking songs in Huangmei, Hubei Province in the Tang Dynasty. By the Ming and Qing Dynasties, this kind of tea-picking song and tea-picking tune song had developed, especially in the cloudy mountainous area and Taibai Lake in Huangmei County, which was also called Huangmei Opera.

Huangmei is located in a low-lying area on the north bank of the Yangtze River. It was often flooded in the Qing Dynasty, and people there went out to beg from time to time. Huangmei Opera became their begging craft. When they went to various places to sing operas and beg for food, Huangmei Opera also spread to neighboring Anhui, Jiangsu, Jiangxi and other places.

In Susong County Annals in susong county, Anhui Province, which is adjacent to Huangmei County, there is also a record that Huangmei Opera was introduced to Anhui: "The city borders on Huangmei in the southwest, and the plum custom is good at performing tea-picking operas, also known as Huangmei Opera."

According to the research on the development of Huangmei Opera by China Opera Network, Huangmei Opera has experienced four historical stages from its origin to its development: one-man show, three operas, three hits and seven sings, and orchestral accompaniment. Among them, the first three stages were completed in Huangmei, Hubei, and the fourth stage was completed in some areas in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, especially in Anqing, Anhui.

It is not unreasonable to say that Anqing has played an important role in the development and promotion of Huangmei Opera. The Huangmei Opera Troupe in Anhui Province, which was established after the founding of the People's Republic of China, and some local professional troupes in Anqing contributed to the spread of Huangmei Opera. Like many classic tracks of Huangmei Opera now, such as "A Fairy Match" and "Female Xu", they all created and performed.

It is said that in 1958, after Mao Zedong, Liu Shaoqi, Zhou Enlai, Zhu De and other party and state leaders watched Huangmei Opera once, Chairman Mao asked, "How did your Huangmei Opera in Hubei go to Anhui?" After Mei Bai, then deputy secretary-general of Hubei Provincial Party Committee, reported the relevant situation to Chairman Mao, Chairman Mao suddenly realized: "It turns out that your Huangmei Opera was rushed to Anhui by floods!"