Most of them are local, dominating a region within a province and its surrounding area. It has been estimated that there are a thousands branches of Chinese opera.

There are as many kinds of Chinese opera as there are dialects. Beijing Opera was originally staged for the royal family. It is thought that Beijing Opera was born when the Four Great Anhui troupes came to Beijing in 1790. It then incorporated music and arias from other operas and musical arts in China. Beijing Opera got its two main melodies, Xi_Pi and Er_Huang, from Anhui and Hubei operas. Although it is called Beijing Opera, its origins are not in Beijing but in the Chinese provinces of Anhui and Hubei. It has deeply influenced the hearts of the Chinese people. Artistically, Beijing Opera is perhaps the most refined form of opera in the world. It is known as one of the three main theatrical systems in the world. It is widely regarded as the highest expression of the Chinese culture. Beijing Opera (or Peking Opera) has existed for over 200 years.

Chinese national peking opera