Tongxiang Huagu Opera is a small drama type of Tanhuang that is sung in Tongxiang dialect, and the dialogues are all in Tongxiang dialect. One theory is that it came from the Yingge Band in Ningbo and Yuyao; another theory is that it came from the Hutan in Changxing and Huzhou; another theory is that this drama is often performed when farmers are picking peaches and plums, so it is also called "Huaguo Opera". After comparing the three tunes of Huagu Opera with the Tanhuang opera types such as Hu Opera and Xi Opera (especially with the Bentan and Chunxi tunes of Hu Opera), the second theory seems to be more credible. The "Nanxun Town Chronicle" and "Shuanglin Town Chronicle" in the Ming and Qing Dynasties both recorded Huagu Opera. "Outline of the Development of Chinese Opera" (written by Zhou Yibai) said in the "Tanhuang" section: "Hutan was influenced by the Shanghai Dongxiang tune and Changzhou Tanhuang, and the stage performance was called Huagu Opera." Therefore, Tongxiang Huagu Opera has the same origin as Hu Opera and Xi Opera. Tongxiang Huagu Opera often plays multiple roles by one person. The main tunes are folk tunes, such as "Xinglu Tune", "Shaoxiang Tune", "Zhengban" and various tunes similar to Hutan. It mainly performs small plays, and a high platform is set up when performing in rural areas. The high platform is temporarily built with rice beds borrowed from farmers, and a gate borrowed from farmers is laid on it. A bamboo mat or reed curtain is hung in the center of the stage as a curtain, which is the stage. When performing in the market town, they all go to the teahouse. The instruments of Tongxiang Huagu Opera include erhu, banhu, yueqin, sanxian, drum board, etc. The repertoires include "Meeting in the Nunnery", "Selling Shallots", "Lu Yachen Sells His Wife", "Fighting Tuanxin", "Xu Azhen Watching Lanterns", "Selling Grass Storage", "Double Hair Loss", and "Picking Pomegranates". The costumes are generally those of ancient costume dramas. In 1952, under the care of Hu Qiuxin, director of the Cultural Center of Chongfu County (now Tongxiang City), 14 flower drum artists scattered among the people formed the Aimin Flower Drum Opera Group. The group leader was the famous clown Shen Xufa (nicknamed "Clothes Tailor Ada") who was well-known throughout the county. Before 1959, the troupe usually only performed small plays. After 1959, it gradually developed into performing large-scale plays, but each show still added a traditional small play, and sometimes also performed special shows. The performances include "Selling Grass Storage", "Returning the Cloak", "Borrowing Yellow Bran", "Grinding Tofu", "Li Sanniang", "Lu Yachen Sells His Wife", etc. Information source: Jiaxing City Library Information source: Jiaxing City Library