Cantonese opera ( 粤剧 ) is one of the major Chinese opera categories, originating in southern China's Cantonese culture. It is popular in Guangdong, Guangxi, Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore and Malaysia. Like all versions of Chinese opera, it is a traditional Chinese art form, involving music, singing, martial arts, acrobatics, and acting.

There is a debate about the origins of Cantonese opera, but it is universally accepted that Cantonese opera was imported from the northern part of China and slowly migrated to the southern province of Guangdong in late 13th century, during the late Southern Song Dynasty ( 南宋 ). In the 12th century, there was a theatrical form called Narm hei ( 南戏 ), or the Nanxi (Southern opera), which was performed in public theaters of Hangzhou, then capital of the Southern Song Dynasty. With the invasion of the Mongol army, Emperor Gong ( 恭帝 ), Zhao Xian ( 赵显 ) fled with hundreds of thousands of Song people into the province of Guangdong in 1276. Among these people were some Narm hei artists from the north. Thus narm hei was brought into Guangdong by these artists and developed into the earliest kind of Cantonese opera.

Many well-known operas performed today, such as The Purple Hairpin ( 紫钗记 ) and Rejuvenation of the Red Plum Flower, originated in the Yuan Dynasty, with the lyrics and scripts in Cantonese. Until the 20th century all the female roles were performed by males.

Cantonese opera has much in common with other Chinese opera genres. Commentators often take pride in the idea that all Chinese opera styles are but minor variations on a pan-Chinese music-theater tradition, and that the basic features or principles are consistent from one local opera form to another. Thus, music, singing, martial arts, acrobatics and acting all feature. Most of the plots are based on Chinese history and famous Chinese classics and myths. The culture and philosophies of the Chinese people can be seen in the plays. Virtues like loyalty, moral, love, patriotism and faithfulness are often reflected by the operas.

The "four skills" and "five methods" are a simple codification of the areas of special training for opera performers, and also stand as something of a metaphor for the most well-rounded and thoroughly trained performers. The "four skills" apply to the whole spectrum of vocal and dramatic training: singing, acting and movement, delivery of the "speech-types" and martial and "gymnastic skills," while the five methods are categories of techniques associated with specific body parts: hands, eyes, body, hair, feet or walking techniques.

There are two types of Cantonese opera play: Mo ( 武 ) and Mun ( 文 ). Mo means martial arts. Mo plays emphasise war, the characters usually being generals or warriors. These works contain action scenes and involve a lot of weaponry and armour. Mun means "highly educated", with connotations of poetry and culture. Scholars are the main characters in these plays. Mun plays tend to be gentler and more elegant. Water sleeves are used extensively in Mun plays to produce movements reflecting the elegance and tenderness of the characters; all female characters wear them. In Mun plays, characters put a lot of effort into creating distinctive facial expressions and gestures to express their underlying emotions.