The red boats that used to transport Cantonese opera troupes around the Pearl River Delta may conjure romance for audiences but they are a symbol of degradation to veterans of the art form.
More than a century ago, during the late Qing dynasty, most Cantonese opera troupes performed within the Pearl River Delta, moving their equipment, sets and costumes from city to city on timber sailing barges that were usually painted red.
He Duzhong, deputy chairman of the Promotion Society of Guangdong Opera, said the artists also lived on red boats because they had no other home.
“They had no social status or respect. In the past, no woman would willingly join an opera troupe because singing was regarded as a demeaning occupation,” He said. “The Red Boat [show] is a symbol of the past degradation of Cantonese opera artists. The disappearance of the boats during the the 1930s marked the rebirth of Cantonese opera.
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“Artists left the boats and rural areas to perform in proper theatres in bigger cities, where they were finally recognised for their talent and no longer lived like vagrants.”