x W: 25 cm
Some of Chinese opera’s earliest audiences were the Chinese immigrants who arrived in Singapore during the 19th century and brought with them the popular culture of street opera. Also known by its Malay term ‘wayang’, which means ‘performance’, Chinese opera in Singapore enjoyed a mass following, in particular during the period up to the 1930s as it acted as both a platform for religious worship, as well as a cheap form of entertainment.