Abstract: History of duochong opera dates back 12 centuries when the Sangye Temple was first built. Duochong was originally a dance accompanied by Tibetan ballads that spread to the region in west Yunnan traversed by three rivers – the Jinsha, the Lancang and the Nujiang – with the expanding Tibetan influence. Elementary results of the survey of the project team show that this opera is still circulating in both the Naxi and the Naxi-Tibetan villages in the upper reaches of the Jinsha River and the Lancang River. The whole opera consists of 12 acts, including 108 songs, both major and minor preludes as well as four dramas. Themes of the opera concern timeless and universal values, such as progressiveness, industry, unity, harmony, etiquettes and advocacy of man-man, man-nature and man-society friendship. Duochong opera has now been listed and protected as provincial intangible cultural heritage, but difficulties have been encountered regarding its research, reorganization, personnel training, exchange project, inheritance and innovation. To overcome these difficulties, joint efforts such as government leadership, social support and popular heritance are needed.

Key words: duochong opera, history, inheritance, development, difficulty, solution