Yuan Zaju Drama System

Timeline

1. 1331–1335Dadu theaters · DaduGoulan and washe theaters in Dadu staged zaju daily, mostly on historical, judicial, and romantic themes. Performances followed the four-acts-and-one-prologue structure: each act was sung to a suite of one mode, with the mo or dan role as lead and jing and chou providing comic interjections. The stage had tables, chairs, curtains, and props; the orchestra sat to the side, led by flute with drum and clapper keeping time; audiences included scholars, merchants, and artisans.
2. 1336–1340Hangzhou · ZhejiangZaju flourished in cities like Hangzhou and Yangzhou, and bookshops began printing zaju scripts for collection and teaching. Literati participation in composition grew, with lyrics emphasizing meter and literary polish, as in Ma Zhiyuan's Autumn in the Han Palace, which circulated among scholars. The Yuan zaju system was by this stage fully formed: clear role division, standardized tune-suite linking, and mature spoken and stage conventions, later drawn upon by southern drama and chuanqi.