Zezhou Yangge is a kind of Han opera popular in the whole territory of Jincheng City. It is named after the ancient name of Zezhou. Because it originated in the eastern part of Gaoping, it is also called Gaoping Yangge. People in Lingchuan call it Zhouqiang Yangge. In addition, there are other names such as Ganban Yangge. Zezhou Yangge was formed during the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, and was put on stage during the Jiaqing period. It reached its peak during the Xianfeng period. At the beginning of the 20th century, there were dozens of Zezhou Yangge self-entertainment troupes in Gaoping, Jincheng, Lingchuan, Yangcheng, and Qinshui. Zezhou Yangge is also called "Gaoping Yangge" or "Zhouwu Yangge". It is one of the Han operas in Shanxi Province. It is popular in Gaoping, Jincheng, Yangcheng, Lingchuan, and Qinshui in the southeast of Shanxi Province. It was popular in the late Qing Dynasty. When singing, gongs, drums, cymbals, etc. are used to follow the beat, and there is no accompaniment of stringed instruments, so it is also called "Ganban Yangge". When singing, there are only bangzi beats and gongs and drums as accompaniment, so it is also called "Ganban Yangge". It has developed from a stall-style storytelling to an independent drama. The actors have a complete range of roles, and the styles include cross-style (334), four-style (343), inverted board, stack, double-name inverted (337), standing board, falling board, counting board, and selected board. The singing content is mostly humorous and interesting stories about the life of the Han folks. Representative repertoires include "Beating the Hammer" and "Beating the Sour Jujube". Yangko opera criticizes current ills and is very popular among the masses. Although the government banned singing in the sixth year of Tongzhi in the Qing Dynasty, performances became more and more prosperous. The famous writer Zhao Shuli loved Yangko opera very much. In the 1960s, he wrote the Yangko script "Opening the Canal". Most of the repertoires of Zezhou Yangko express family conflicts, marital disputes, and life ethics. They have a strong local flavor, are close to the masses, close to life, and have a deep mass base. There is a popular saying among the people: "Yangko and opera are everywhere, everyone can sing a few words, sing on stage at night, and sing on the ground during the day." During its heyday, the Yangko troupes and self-entertainment classes were almost everywhere in the villages of ancient Zezhou Prefecture. The people of Zezhou were so obsessed with Yangko that they could not get enough of it without a few Yangko performances at the temple fairs. There is a saying among the people that "the Yangko is popular but the opera is not popular". It can be said that the Yangko of Zezhou reflects the thoughts and feelings of the people of Zezhou and is an indispensable part of their cultural life. In 1985, the Shanxi Provincial Department of Culture filmed the Yangko of Zezhou "Beating the Hammer" as an archival material to protect traditional excellent repertoires. From 1985 to 1990, the Peiwa Yangko Troupe rehearsed some traditional fine repertoires every year and trained a large number of young people to learn to sing Yangko operas. In 2006, it was included in the Jincheng Municipal Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection List, and in 2008, it was included in the Shanxi Provincial Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection List. Peiwa Yangko Troupe won the second prize in the Jincheng Intangible Cultural Heritage Exhibition and the Second International Go Festival Folk Art Exhibition. At present, some accomplished old artists have passed away one after another, and the old artists who are still alive are old and gradually withdraw from the stage. The development of Zezhou Yangko faces serious challenges.