Gaojia opera or Ko-kah opera is a form of Chinese opera that originated in Quanzhou, in the Hokkien (Min Nan)-speaking region of southern Fujian province, southeast China. It is famous for its various chou (clown) roles.[1] The form emerged at the end of the Ming dynasty. It was originally an improvised form that was part of a religious parade. The performances from these parades developed into Songjiang drama, which told stories about the character Songjiang from the Chinese classic Water Margin and featured acrobatics and a relatively simple plot. In the middle of the Qing dynasty, it absorbed the influences of Hui opera (Chinese: 徽戲), Beijing opera, and Yiyang music. All music accompanying Gaojia opera is in the style of southern China, and is also influenced by Liyuan opera.[2] In the Philippines, it is called "Kaoka" after Amoy Hokkien and is considered a dying tradition.[3]