Shanxi merchants
Shanxi Opera ( "Jinju") is the local form of Chinese opera. It was popularized during the late Qing Dynasty, with the help of the then-ubiquitous Shanxi merchants who were active across parts of China. Also called "Zhonglu Bangzi" (), it is a type of "bangzi" opera (), a group of operas generally distinguished by their use of wooden clappers for rhythm and by a more energetic singing style; Shanxi opera is also complemented by "quzi" (), a blanket term for more melodic styles from further south. Puzhou Opera ( "Puju"), from southern Shanxi, is a more ancient type of "bangzi" that makes use of very wide linear intervals.