Gaojia Opera, also known as Yijia Opera, is a traditional local opera genre originating from southern Fujian province. It is popular in the dialect-speaking areas of southern Fujian province, Taiwan and among overseas Chinese communities in Southeast Asia. The opera emerged in the late Ming (1368-1644) and early Qing (1644-1911) dynasties. By the late Qing Dynasty, it had integrated elements from Hui Opera and Yiyang qiang, forming its distinctive artistic style.

Gaojia Opera boasts a repertoire of over 600 traditional plays such as Mengjiang Crying at the Great Wall. It is categorized into three types: daqi xi (court play and martial play), xiufang xi (romantic play), and Chou-and-Dan play.

The qupai (fixed melodic patterns in Chinese opera) belongs to the Nanyin (an old folk music style popular in Fujian province) system, drawing from Nanyin and puppetry, with unique rhythmic and melodic variations. Vocal performance uses natural voice, combining strength and delicacy.

The accompaniment is divided into two sections: the wenyue section which provides vocal accompaniment and scene music, and the wuyue section which synchronizes with the rhythm of the performance. Wenyue is led by the suona, while wuyue features drums and gongs as its main instruments.

The role categories had well developed including Sheng (the main male role), Dan (the female role), Chou (the male and female clown), Jing (the forceful male role). With special prominence, Chou roles are diverse and vividly humorous. Martial arts movements are inspired by string puppetry and Lion Dances, making the action highly distinctive.

As a cultural symbol of southern Fujian province, Gaojia Opera holds significant cultural influence across China and beyond.