Cantonese opera actors put on elaborate show

Malaysia's National department for Culture and Arts is organising a Traditional Arts showcase in partnership with the Ministry of Tourism. (Photo AFP)

Cantonese opera, a traditional theatre, is a distinctive form of drama found in Hong Kong and China’s Guangdong region. Consisting of a blend of operatic traditions from various parts of China, it first arose in the Ming and Qing dynasties and experienced its commercial heyday in the early twentieth century. (Photo AFP)

Actresses Veronica Davis (L) and Koh Lai Lin (R) from the Sound of Tai Hei group perform on stage. (Photo AFP)

Today,Cantonese opera faces great challenges despite its 1,000 years of history and elevated status, not least because of its elderly audience base and a shrinking pool of future performers. (Photo AFP)

Cantonese opera -- where actors wear elaborate costumes and make-up, and must be adept at elaborately choreographed martial arts as well as singing -- was recognised as 'intangible cultural heritage' by UN cultural agency UNESCO in 2009. (Photo AFP)

The turn of the century marked a significant shift for Cantonese opera, as the locus of activity moved from rural regions to the urban centres of Guangzhou and Hong Kong. The commercial support of city merchants allowed Cantonese opera to blossom on the urban stage. (Photo AFP)

An ethnic Malaysian-Chinese Cantonese opera actress (L) from the Sound of Tai Hei group prepares backstage before an opera performance in Kuala Lumpur. (Photo AFP)

As early as the Ming dynasty, China’s Guangdong province had a local opera that blended existing theatrical styles, such as yiyang, bangzi, pihuang and kunqu, from other parts of China. (Photo AFP)