Yu Opera is one of the five major Chinese opera genres and the first major local opera genre in China. It is a traditional theatre mainly popular in Henan Province, Hebei Province and Shandong Province, spreading throughout China, and is one of the national intangible cultural heritages.

Yu Opera, together with Beijing Opera and Yue Opera, is one of the top three Chinese operas, with a history of hundreds of years. As early as during the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, it had already become a very influential opera genre in Henan Province. During the generation and development of Yu Opera, it drew on the artistic factors of Kun Opera, Blow Opera, Leather Reed Opera and other operas of the Bangzi Opera. At the same time, it extensively absorbed the popular folk music of Henan Province, the music of the opera and the folk songs, forming the characteristics of the opera which are straightforward, simple, colourful, delicate and rich in local flavour.

On 20 May 2006, the Yu Opera declared by Henan Province was inscribed by the State Council into the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage list, numbered as IV-23.

On 7 June 2008, the Yu Opera (Sang Pai) declared by Handan City of Hebei Province was included in the second batch of national intangible cultural heritage list, numbered IV-23.

On 24 May 2021, the Yu Opera declared by the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps was approved by the State Council to be included in the Fifth Batch of National Intangible Cultural Heritage Representative Project List Extended Project List, No. Ⅳ-23.

In recent years, Yu Opera has travelled to many countries in the world following the performances of Henan TV, Henan Yu Theatre, Taiwan Yu Opera Troupe and other performing groups. It has been performed in Australia, Italy, Israel, Malaysia, France, Brazil, Canada, Venezuela, New Zealand, Germany, Singapore, Turkey, England and the United States. It has been praised by westerners as "Oriental Aria" and "Chinese Opera". Yu Opera is also the opera genre with the largest number of professional opera groups and practitioners in the country, and is now the top of the list of the Three Tripods of Chinese Opera, and tops the list of all local opera genres in the country.