Chuan Opera has a long history. As early as in Three Kingdom dynasty, there was "Canjun opera". In Ming dynasty, artist of Sichuan opera performed the skill in Jinling (now Nanjing). During the period of Yongzheng and Qianlong in Qing dynasty, as the "Huabu" drama propered, Kunqu, Yiyang aria, Bangzi aria and Pihuang aria merged with local languages, folk customs, ditties, yang-kos and Dengdiaos in Sichuan as they moved into the place. At the end of Qing dynasty, Sichuan opera was played from temple fairs, halls and yard to urban theaters.
With a repertoire of thousands of plays, Sichuan opera is said to have "3000 Tang stories, 800 Song tales and endless Three Kingdom anecdotes". Being famous for its comedies in particular, Sichuan opera is delicate and vivid in acting, varied in performing, strongly local-flavored and humorous. The traditional performing formula is quite systematic in that it combines the stunts like face-changing, Tihuiyan, sword-hiding, fire-spitting and beard-changing with the plot and different characters, highlighting the romanticism of opera in a magical and exaggerated manner.
The application of gongs and drums in Sichuan opera is also very different: the pitch is high, while the voice is resonant and primitive.
