What’s in a song? In episode four of Charming Hainan, Enchanting Malaysia, hosts Zheng Ziwei and Ho Wen Yi explore the ties between Hainan and Southeast Asia in the enduring and shared musical tradition of Qiong Opera.

Qiong Opera, also known as Hainan Opera, has a history stretching back more than 400 years, and is the most recognized local operatic art form in Hainan. Sung in the Hainanese dialect of Chinese, it is a lively art form replete with island characteristics. It was carried by early Hainanese migrants to Southeast Asia, taking root and being passed down in overseas Chinese communities in Malaysia, Singapore, and other countries.

In Malaysia, Qiong Opera has slowly faded into obscurity, with the majority of performers now in their later years. Lacking formal apprenticeship, let alone a complete musical ensemble, these silver-haired sticklers learned their craft from cassette tapes, copy makeup from photos, and even stitch together their own costumes. Their determination to continue in such conditions can be simply explained: this is the sound of home. For generations, they have kept the flame of this art form burning against the winds of change in a place far from the land of its birth.

Conversely, in its homeland of Hainan, Qiong Opera has received renewed interest and fresh recruits. One such example is Pan Dailin. He grew up watching live performances with his grandparents, rushing home after shows and draping himself in blankets to imitate what he had witnessed on stage. Now, he is one of the Hainan Provincial Qiong Opera Troupe’s core members. After collaborating with other performers from Singapore and Malaysia, he was blown away by their dedication: “Considering that they learned from scratch with limited resources and had to ask us for guidance time and time again, the fact that they were able to put together a full show really moved me.”

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