From existing materials it is clear that Nankuan was deeply connected to Sung and Yuan drama-songs. It is the oldest surviving form of Chinese drama.
它是流行於閩南一帶的民間劇種，唱腔為泉州口音，以現存的資料來看，南管戲與宋元戲曲的關係深厚，是中國現存最古老的劇種之一。