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Yuan Zaju Drama

Type Object Region China Time 1200–1400

Yuan zaju is a form of Chinese drama that emerged and matured in northern China in the 13th–14th centuries, typically structured in four acts plus a …

Timeline

  1. 1234–1279Pingyang · ShanxiAround the fall of the Jin, yuanben and zhugongdiao merged, and the zaju system of four-act structure, northern tune singing, and role-type division gradually took shape in the waze and goulan entertainment quarters of cities like Pingyang and Dadu.
  2. 1280–1310Dadu · North ChinaWriters such as Guan Hanqing and Ma Zhiyuan were active; zaju was widely performed in urban goulan and court banquets; famous works like The Injustice to Dou E and Autumn in the Han Palace circulated; the early 14th century remained a flourishing period of dramatic creation.
  3. 1350–1400Jiangnan · JiangnanIn the late Yuan and early Ming, southern-tune chuanqi rose in Jiangnan; northern zaju ceded ground in the performance market and creative focus, but its four-act system, role-type division, and classic repertoire continued to deeply influence later Chinese drama.

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