Music in Chinese opera can be divided into two categories: wen (civil) and wu (military). Civil music comprises string and wind instruments that accompany the singing performed by characters such as beautiful women and scholars. Military music uses percussion instruments to accompany more dramatic moments such as hand-to-hand combat and battle scenes. As Singapore grew more urbanised in the 1920s and 30s, Chinese opera troupes became part of new entertainment concepts such as the amusement park. Troupes such as Sin Sai Hong performed Hokkien (Fujian) opera at amusement parks owned by the Shaw Brothers in Singapore and Malaya. Post-war, in the 1940s, opera was popular with radio listeners, along with modern Mandarin songs.
