Longtao generally means figurant, because they always wear Longtao robes to serve as a foil to main actors on the stage.


Pao Longtao (walk-on) gets its name because the soldiers, servants and maids in imperial palaces always wear special Longtao robes. In opera, several people on the stage wearing such robes represent tens of thousands of soldiers, citizens, etc.


In general, four people are treated as one Longtao group, and there may be one or two groups of four on the stage at the same time to represent a crowd. These men or women always follow their masters, and their appearance and disappearance are useful for indicating changes of location and atmosphere. Other conventions governing such changes include the appearance of two dragons or four doors, and the pulling off of boots. These changes are accompanied by special music or singing. In court scenes the Longtao shouts loudly to indicate the solemnity of the atmosphere.


       龙套”就是群众演员，由于他们都穿着各色的龙套衣而得名。 

        他们往往是四个人一组，或者两组（以求显示人多）摆出不同的队形，代表不同的阵式，手里举着旗、摇旗呐喊，所以“龙套”还有一个名称叫“打旗”的，由于“龙套”代表着众多的人物，总是跟着主帅跑来跑去，上来下去，烘托气氛，因此生动地称其为“跑龙套”。