Li xuefang meets mei lanfang: Cantonese opera’s significant rise in 1920s shanghai and beyond

The historical meeting of Cantonese opera actress Li Xuefang and Peking opera actor Mei Lanfang in Shanghai in 1922 signaled an important moment in the rising significance of Cantonese opera in Shanghai. This essay examines the social context, forces, and social actors involved in this encounter, as well as the activities of Cantonese opera performance in Shanghai that signaled its rise in the city during the 1920s. Drawing attention to the array of historical actors, the textual and visual public discourse surrounding the performers, and the role of Shanghai’s Cantonese sojourner community, it explores Cantonese opera performance in Shanghai in this period, in particular the popularity of female troupes. The last section looks beyond Shanghai to consider its connections to and influence on another Cantonese sojourner community across the Pacific, San Francisco.