Wayang (a Malay word meaning "a theatrical performance employing puppets or human dancers") commonly refers to Chinese street opera in Singapore, though it is also used in reference to other forms of opera such as wayang kulit. In Mandarin, Chinese street opera is known as jiexi (street show). This traditional Chinese dramatic form, which incorporates a wide range of art forms like song, dance, mime, acrobatics and martial arts, was brought to Singapore by immigrants from China during the 19th century as part of their religious rites. It became in short time the most accessible form of entertainment for this community, and its popularity rose to such a level, that the large crowds at these performances worried the authorities. It continued to be performed at indoor venues and in the streets through the Japanese Occupation, but after that, as a result of the post-war developments, of the replacement of the dialects with Mandarin among the Chinese, and of the westernisation of the population, it ceased to be a form of mass entertainment, even if it is considered an icon of Chinese heritage and culture.
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