Children wear Dixi Opera masks in Jiuxi village, Anshun city, Guizhou province. [Photo/IC]

Dixi Opera is a type of opera in Anshun of Guizhou province performed in open spaces instead of on a formal stage by actors wearing wooden masks. Developed in the early Ming Dynasty, it is actually a branch of Nuo Opera.

The opera was formerly used by farmers to pray for good weather and good harvests. When performing, the actor will wear a mask, cover his face with green yarn, hold swords and spears, and carry small flags on his back The actor will sing, dance, and perform acrobatic fighting in time with the music.

The Anshun Dixi Opera was listed in the country's first batch of intangible cultural heritage in 2006.