Gaojia opera

Gaojia opera (simplified Chinese: 高甲戏; traditional Chinese: 高甲戲; pinyin: Gāojiǎ xì; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Ko-kah-hì / Kau-kah-hì) or Ko-kah opera is a form of Chinese opera that originated in Quanzhou, in the Hokkien (Min Nan)-speaking region of southern Fujian province, southeast China.

[1] The form emerged at the end of the Ming dynasty.

It was originally an improvised form that was part of a religious parade.

The performances from these parades developed into Songjiang drama (宋江戏), which told stories about the character Songjiang from the Chinese classic Water Margin and featured acrobatics and a relatively simple plot.

[2] In the Philippines, it is called "Kaoka" after Amoy Hokkien Chinese: 高甲戲; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Kau-kah-hì and is considered a dying tradition.