香港在1856年（咸豐六年），已經出現了一所「漱芳戲園」。到了同治時期（1862-1874），「昇平戲園」、「同慶戲園」和「高陞戲園」在1865到1870年之間相繼落成啟業。二十世紀初，又分別建成「普慶戲園」和「太平戲園」，可見當時香港戲曲事業的蓬勃發展。商業戲園（戲院）為香港華人提供瑰麗多姿的演劇娛樂，也成為市區的主要地標和公眾空間。從《華字日報》刊登的廣告看來，上述戲園可以說全年無休。除了粵班之外，來自外省的戲班經常訪港，川流不息上演中國戲曲。本文嘗試通過爬梳材料，分三個方面論述香港戲園社會史：「戲園外面的歷史場景」、「戲園裡面的觀眾構成」和「戲臺上的劇種劇目」。經歷兩次鴉片戰爭、五口通商、十三行制度廢除、地區民亂導致人口和資金流入，加上「太平洋時代」的來臨，令香港在十九世紀後半葉迅速成為國際航運轉口港。隨着本地商業戲園的興建和經營，在同治光緒期間確立一個活躍多姿的演劇市場，推動香港成為廣州以外的另一個戲曲匯聚城市。

Although the earliest record of a commercial theatre at Hong Kong can be traced back to 1856, the Tongzhi period (1862-1874) witnessed an unprecedented development of Chinese opera theatres in the Colony. Between 1865 and 1870, three new commercial theatres were established within six years, reflecting the rapid growth of local demand of entertainment and the flourishing of Chinese/Cantonese opera industry. Such demographic and economic changes in the second half of the 19th century were brought about by two major historical events: Taiping Movement (1850-1864) in China, and the discovery of gold mines in North America and later in Australia. The arrival of new migrants, finance, business, and job opportunities to Hong Kong were the social and economic forces leading to the prosperity of the commercial theatre business. Containing three main sections, this paper narrates the social history of commercial theatres of late Qing Hong Kong in a concentric way: the socio-economic environments outside the theatres, the social origins and behaviors of audience in the commercial theatres, and the operatic performances and genres exhibited on the stage. A central issue is how the economic boom of Hong Kong in the ＂era of the Pacific＂ reshaped the operatic landscape of the Colony, bringing about the emergence of a new urban market of Chinese/Cantonese opera other than Canton in southern Guangdong.