Chinese opera is one of the many kinds of local opera in China.Ever since the middle age id Qing Dynasty, along the decay of Kun Chu drama, various local operas were getting prosperous.Until the end of Qing, there were variety of opera choices, such as Chuan drama, Uan south flora drum drama, and Guang Tong drama and so on.However, Chinese opera is most representative and most influential.The history of it is not very long, but it has absorbed plenty excellent things in the development of Chinese drama.The former of Chinese opera was Hui drama (Hui tone), Han drama (Chu tone), Kun Chu, Qing tone, and Beijing tone; it can be said a blending of various performing arts, that integrated local language to form a new type of drama.Chinese opera was formed in Beijing around Qing Guang-Xu Empire (another saying Dao-Guang years), up to now for some two hundred years.

Talking about the formation of Chinese opera, it had to commence from the Hui opera Groups (called in general Pi-Huang drama) entered Beijing.In Qian-Long 55th year (1790), San-Qing Hui group entered Beijing to celebrate the Empire’s birthday and was popular warmly there.The opera title not only vast in subject matter, but easy to understand, which was welcomed by ordinary people.Artists of Hui group not only good at learning others’ merits, but paid attention to the needs of the audience.With Hui group entering Beijing, it prepared the initial formation terms for Chinese opera.But only with Hui group, Chinese opera had no birth.Han drama entered Beijing facilitated the final birth of Chinese opera.

 

Han Drama is the local opera type that was popular in the Han Shui area of Hu Bei province.It was transmitted to Beijing in the end of the Qian-Long Empire.Prior to the entering of Beijing, Hui drama and Han drama had been interacted and influenced each other heavily.Actors of Han drama entered in Beijing did not group together to sing by themselves, but rather joined Hui group.Blending Hui and Han that eventually formed the creation of Chinese opera.

 

The major vocal tone of Han drama is Xi-Pi and Er-Huang.Under the influence of Han drama, performance of Hui group had gradually changed.It had changed from expression of various vocals to the major form of Pi-Huang vocal with new features.In terms of singing and reading, it absorbed some Beijing sound of words, and then added the interaction with audience, that led the performance of Hui group with unified language sound standard.

 

Ever sine 1790’s, after the cultivation for 50 to 60 years, in between 1840 and 1860, Chinese opera finally gave birth from Hui group.No matter in terms of vocal voice, sound and tone and rhymes, or performance, it had formed its own characteristics.In terms of music, it is primarily Pi-Huang.In terms of script, the subject-matter had been enlarged, the hot point of creation was political and history topic.The scripts of Chinese opera are vast like sea that were kept for some five thousand kinds.

Ever since the formation of Chinese opera until now, it has been divided into several stages as follows:
A. Between about Qian-Long 55th year (1790) to Kuang-Xu 6th year (1880), it was the emergent formation period of Chinese opera.
B. Between about Kuang-Xu 6th year (1880) to the 6th year of the Republic of China (1917), it was the mature period of Chinese opera development.
C. Ever since the 6th year of the Republic of China (1917), the development of Chinese opera was getting prosperous, up until the 26th year of the Republic of China (1937), due to Japanese invaded China, it turned to declined from prosperity.
D. Between the 27th year of the Republic of China (1938) and the 38th year of the Republic of China (1949), due to War against Japan and the struggle of KMT and the Communist China, it changed with prosperity and declining.
E. Between 1942 and 1967, the Communist China for the wide and thorough penetration of its political slogan and thoughts, changed the Chinese opera to let it have a special development period.
F. Ever since the 78th year of the Republic of China (1989), the cultural interaction had been gradually developed across the Straight, that brought the new development of Chinese opera.

   

The formation and gradual mature of Chinese opera was primarily benefited from the blending of Hui drama and Han drama, and further had the opportunity in inheriting in many ways of the old opera art traditions in Beijing, the historic city.On the one hand, artists’ revolution and creation talents and persistence to the civil performance that led to the love and support of vast ordinary people; on the other hand, due to the love of royal groups, these empires and royal families provided superior material terms and mental support to the development of Chinese opera, and facilitated the singing skills and stage art upgrading.

Reference:
Gui-Zhe Su, Development of Chinese Opera and Taiwanese Opera Under the National Policy, Wen-She-Zhe Publisher, 2003.
Chinese Opera Department, Chinese Culture University http://www2.pccu.edu.tw/CRMDCD/data/c01.htm/sorted by the research team Source of Photos:
National Taiwan College of Performing Arts, Chinese Opera Classic Collections http://digiarc.tcpa.edu.tw/1_1_1_1.html

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