Meilin Opera, commonly known as tuxi or tujing xi, is a local opera genre, primarily performed in Taining and other counties in East China's Fujian province. It developed during the Qianlong and Jiaqing periods of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), when hui diao, another local opera genre from East China's Anhui province was introduced to Taining county. Hui diao merged with local dialects, folk songs, and Taoist music, forming a distinctive local opera style.

Spoken lines are delivered in the local official dialect while the vocal performance is noted for its emotional appeal. The accompaniment is divided into two sections: wenyue which provides vocal accompaniment and scene music, and wuyue which synchronizes with the rhythm of the performance. Instruments such as the erhu (the Chinese two-stringed fiddle) and sanxian (the traditional Chinese lute) are used in wenyue, and drums and gongs are used in wuyue.

The role system in Meilin Opera is well developed, known as "five categories and seventeen roles", including the zhengsheng (the main male), the laosheng (the old male), the huadan (the young female), the laodan (the old female). The performance is rustic and vigorous, with distinct conventions of singing, recitation, acting, and combat.

Costumes and makeup are simple. Some stylized movements are reminiscent of yushen (ancient ritualistic deity-entertaining ceremonies) and marionette movements. In addition, traditional stunts like shua liaoya (the tooth-spinning trick) and yehuo bianqun (the skirt-fire transformation trick) are well preserved.

With a traditional repertoire of over 330 pieces and 130 collected scripts, Meilin Opera preserves key traits of Hui Opera, offering valuable material for studying Hui-style operas. Yet today, it faces extinction due to declining income and struggling performance troupes, urgently requiring preservation efforts.