Research · 2018–2024 · Hong Kong

Cantonese Opera in Post-Colonial Hong Kong

An ethnographic inquiry into authenticity, socio‑economic change, and government policy in Hong Kong Cantonese opera

Read Overview My Roles and Impact
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Backstage of Cantonese opera in Hong Kong, 2021.
Wardrobe assistants at professional opera show in Hong Kong, 2021

Project Snapshot

Lead
Wan Yeung
Researcher
Advisor
Dr. Helen Rees
Participants
100+ actors, musicians, singers, crew members, aficionados
Timeline
2018–2024
Tools
Adobe Audition,
MuseScore,
Excel,
Photoshop,
Premiere Pro

Overview

Institution: UCLA University of California, Los Angeles

After the 1997 handover, Cantonese opera in Hong Kong has been reshaped by cultural and policy change. Between 2018 and 2023, I conducted an extended ethnographic study of Hong Kong’s Cantonese opera community, adapting my fieldwork design to COVID-19 disruptions and political shifts. Research combined in-person and virtual methods: participant observation in classrooms, rehearsals, backstage, and public performances; 100+ interviews and 10+ focus groups with professional and amateur practitioners, aficionados, educators, and cultural stakeholders; a brief demographic survey used only for descriptive profiling (to validate age trends); targeted musical transcription; and archival research at local museums, theatres, and private collections. I also employed virtual ethnography to document online performance and discourse during pandemic closures.

Ko shing in Hong Kong, 2021
A "cabaret" where one could still hear Cantonese operatic songs in 2021.

My Role and Impact

My Role
Participant observation
(classrooms, rehearsals, performances)
In‑depth interviews
(100+)
Focus groups
with practitioners & audiences
Short survey
for descriptive profiling
Archival research
& virtual ethnography
Musical transcription
& audiovisual analysis
Thematic synthesis
& reporting
Project Impact
Research informed dissertation completed in 2024.
Informed cultural policy debates on heritage subsidy, training systems, and cross‑border exchange. Demonstrated how mixed‑method ethnography can guide decisions in complex cultural ecosystems.
Metrics
100+
Interviews
10+
Focus groups
6
Archival collections
reviewed
20+
Performances
documented
Challenge

Authenticity, hierarchy, and policy collide in everyday practice

  • Context shift: Post‑1997 policy and nationalism reshape incentives and visibility.
  • Research gap: Prior work tracks policy, not the day‑to‑day practices in clubs and troupes.
  • Why it matters: Performance practices are where identity and status are negotiated.
Key question: How do performers and audiences use concrete practices to navigate power and belonging in Hong Kong today?
Cantonese opera performance in Hong Kong, 2021
Impresario and playwright Tsui Ngai Kong watching Tung Sing Opera Troupe performance from stage wing, 2021.

Literature Review

Here’s what’s already known — and what my research adds.

Policy & Institutions

  • Scholarship focuses on heritage policy, funding, and cross‑border exchange, but rarely examines the on‑stage and rehearsal‑room practices of Hong Kong troupes.

Community Practice

  • Studies describe club structures, training, and ritual, yet overlook the day‑to‑day practices and backstage labor that sustain the Hong Kong scene.

Comparative & Theoretical

  • Debates on authenticity, language policy, and conservatory vs. traditional training rarely connect to economic survival or apply Bourdieu‑style capital in the Hong Kong context.
The gap: We know little about how Hong Kong Cantonese‑opera practitioners use performance practices to navigate hierarchy, market pressures, and identity in everyday practice.
My research bridges this gap through multi‑sited ethnography, 100+ interviews, surveys, archival and audiovisual analysis, and synthesis aimed at stakeholders.

Research Plan

1. Problem & Scope
HK ecosystem map; pro / amateur / education; focus: performance practice + improvisation; post‑1997 context.
2. Sampling & Recruitment
Snowball from MA contacts; roles: actors, musicians, crew, organizers, educators, aficionados; bilingual consent; short demographic survey (descriptive).
3. Fieldwork & Data
Participant observation (classes, rehearsals, backstage, shows); 100+ interviews; 10+ focus groups; musical transcription; audiovisual capture; archives (museums, Sunbeam); virtual ethnography (COVID).
4. Analysis & Frameworks
Hybrid coding; triangulation (interviews, fieldnotes, media, archives, survey); Bourdieu field/capital mapping; HK–Guangzhou contrast.
5. Synthesis & Delivery
Ecosystem map; theme briefs; talk tracks; policy/education recommendations; community feedback loops.
Constraints & ethics: 2019–2023; in‑person + virtual; anonymization on request; reflexive approach; pandemic‑safe protocols.

Interviews & Focus Groups

Cafe setting used for interviews in Hong Kong
Café 1997 at the Modera Hotel in Hong Kong, where I often interviewed performers and crew away from backstage.
  • Participants: 100+ semi‑structured interviews, 10+ focus groups; actors, musicians, club organizers, impresarios, educators, wardrobe/crew, aficionados.
  • Recruitment: Snowball sampling from MA thesis network; bilingual consent; role‑specific guides.
  • Context: In‑situ at rehearsals (HKAPA), backstage, & tea houses; virtual sessions during COVID‑19.
  • Lines of inquiry: training pathways, gig economics, performance practices, cross‑border influence, authenticity/identity.
  • Survey (descriptive): validated age and education trend.
  • Analysis: hybrid coding; triangulated with fieldnotes, recordings, and archival materials; synthesized into stakeholder briefs.

Analysis

From thematic coding to musical & audiovisual tests

1
Thematic
2
Cross‑group synthesis
3
Musical & AV analysis

Stage 1 — Thematic

Coded interviews, participant‑observation, and surveys to map roles, business models, and constraints.

  • Professional troupes: subsidies, impresario models, COVID rules, etc.
  • Avocational singers: activity types, ties to professionals, patronage preference, etc.
  • Educators: formal/informal settings, training pipelines, student prospects, etc.

Stage 2 — Cross‑group synthesis

Clustered themes across roles (economy, hierarchy, identity, policy). This surfaced a shared decision‑point:

Which performance practices are preferred, by whom, and why?

Stage 3 — Musical & AV analysis

Analysed audio singing passages and audiovisual recordings to test for a binary split in style preferences.

  • Targeted musical transcription for comparable passages.
  • Side‑by‑side audiovisual review of performers with different training lineages.

Key Insights

Selected findings

Performance Practices = Agency

On‑the‑spot musical choices are how performers assert identity, negotiate status, and adapt to venue/audience constraints — a behavior lens on decision‑making under pressure.

Audience as Co‑producer

Audience preferences actively shape repertoire, budgets, and casting. Treating audiences as stakeholders (not endpoints) unlocks better programming and buy‑in.

The Prestige Marketplace

Amateurs and semi‑pros invest in training, costumes, and stage time to accrue symbolic capital, not revenue — a useful model for mapping value beyond money.

Resilience by Design

Troupes that quickly switch how they earn and deliver — ticketing, sponsorship, or streaming — survive better during shocks like COVID. Build flexibility into revenue and workflows so teams can adapt under pressure.

Reflections and Lessons Learned

1.

Crisis-Proofing

Kept research on track by pivoting methods when COVID blocked field sites.

2.

Prestige as Currency

Tracked how spending builds symbolic value, not just revenue.

3.

Identity-Aware Design

Factored layered cultural identities into solutions.

4.

Decision-Ready Insights

Delivered findings that helped stakeholders act fast.

Adapting methodologies to deliver meaningful, actionable insights in evolving landscapes.

Interested in more of my research projects or collaborations? Explore my full research portfolio or get in touch.