Zhejiang's dramatic art has a long history and consists of 56 regional genres. Tang Xianzu, a famous playwright during the Ming Dynasty (AD 1368-1644), wrote his masterpiece The Peony Pavilion, in Suichang county of Zhejiang. In 2001, Zhejiang Kunqu opera was added to UNESCO's intangible cultural heritage list.

Yueju Oprea, China's second-largest form of traditional opera, originated in Shengxian county (now Shengzhou city), Zhejiang province and rose to fame in the 1980s with the Xiaobaihua Yueju Opera Troupe leading the way.