After the Revolution of 1911, performance of Huangmei Opera gradually became professional. It was performed on stages and the group of farmers and craftsmen who could sing and perform turned into professional performers. By 1931, there were two special theatres in Anqing City for Huangmei Opera. Later on, the famous female performer, Ding Yongquan and others went to perform in Shanghai, where Huangmei Opera was further influenced by Peking Opera and other operas. A number of new items were included, for example Nong and Bi Marry and Story of Bees. Ding Yongquan and others also carried out reform in the traditional tunes of Huangmei Opera, canceling bangqiang tune and using jinghu (a two-stringed bowed instrument) as accompaniment. Progress was also made in the performance.
