A close up of the heavily made up face of a Chinese opera performer in Bangkok. Chinese opera is performed in Thailand by itinerant groups of players, most of whom are from the northeastern region of Thailand known as Isan. It is characterised by its lavish costumes, the falsetto delivery of its actors and the highly stylised presentation of its set-piece stories which are drawn from Chinese folklore. Though the operas are performed in Chinese most of the actors don't understand Chinese and simply learn their parts by rote. Chinese opera is colourful reminder of the importance of Thailand's ethnic Chinese population, and of how Chinese culture has become an integral part of Thailand's cultural identity. Though the Chinese opera is appreciated by an ageing, and dwindling, population of Chinese speakers, the performers explain that audience sizes is of little importance since they essentially performing for the gods. The shows are usually sponsored by the local community, are free for all to attend and usually last between two and three days.