for chinese, especially older folks, to listen to this kind of opera is a real pleasure. these dialogs also promoted the development of distinct literary styles, such as zaju in the yuan dynasty. accompanied by traditional musical instruments like the erhu, the gong, and the lute, actors present unique melodies - which may sound strange to foreigners - as well as dialogues which are beautifully written and of high literary value. gradually it combined music, art and literature into one performance on the stage. performances were watched in tearooms, restaurants, and even around makeshift stages.Ĭhinese opera evolved from folk songs, dances, talking, antimasque, and especially distinctive dialectical music. during the qing dynasty (1644 - 1911), chinese opera became fashionable among ordinary people. since the yuan dynasty (1271 - 1368) chinese opera has been encouraged by court officials and emperors and has become a traditional art form. from that time on, performers of chinese opera were referred to as 'disciples of the pear garden'. during the tang dynasty (618 – 907), the emperor taizong established an opera school with the poetic name liyuan (pear garden). Chinese opera together with greece tragic-comedy and indian sanskrit opera are the three oldest dramatic art forms in the world.

History of chinese opera