More than two hundred years old and immensely popular in Chengdu, the Sichuan Opera derived from local religious and folk festival perfomances blended with the Beijing style. There are five forms: gaoqiang , with high-pitched singing; kunqu, huqin and tanxi , featuring flute, violin and zither accompaniment respectively; and denxi , lantern-play. The main differences between Sichuan and Beijing operas involve the themes - far more rustic here, based on everyday events and local legends - and the language , which is not impossible for outsiders to appreciate. All local pieces are performed in Sichuanese, a distinctively rhythmic dialect well suited to theatre, which allows for puns - the Sichuanese are renowned for their sense of humour and clever word-play - and also affects the pace of the music, closely linked as it is to speeches. The music itself is cruder than in the Beijing Opera, with a relatively basic orchestra featuring harsh-pitched oboes and heavy use of the drum, a reflection of the Sichuan Opera's humble origins.

There's an opera school in Chengdu, and students often appear in minor roles in theatres around Chengdu. Performances are held daily in the city, though the best actors and biggest crowds turn out on Sundays. Don't expect Beijing-style glamour, however; shows are far lower-key and even large venues tend towards a tea-house atmosphere, with the audience relaxed and enjoying the acting. Programmes last for the whole afternoon, consisting of at least three short pieces or episodes from longer sagas, often interspersed with non-operatic skits such as qingyin ballad-singing or jinqianban "castanet" dances.

Places to see opera include the small tea-house theatre right at the back of the Cultural Palace on Tidu Jie, a very casual affair, full of octogenarians crunching sunflower seeds, slurping the complimentary tea, and occasionally breaking off from gossiping to applaud the actors' finer points. More professional efforts take place at the Jinjiang Theater on Xinglong Jie (currently closed for repairs), and the Shudu Theater way down Yushuang Lu. For the cheapest tickets (¥2.50-20, depending on seat and venue) go direct to the theatre box offices - the daily fare is chalked up outside. Alternatively, ¥50 to a travel agent (see "Listings") buys a guide to accompany you, translate, explain plots and get you in backstage beforehand to see the actors preparing. These tours are often well worth it, but check the guide's English and where the performance is before paying, and never buy from wandering touts - you don't want to end up in a tea-house theatre, fun though they are, for this price.