Beijing+opera+in+the+20th+and+21st+century

**Beijing Opera in the 20th and 21st Century**
By Matthew Dix



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In 1790, during the Qing dynasty, 4 opera troupes went to beijing to perform for the Emperor Qianlong. These troupes, the Shanqing, the Sixi, the Chungong, and the Chun troupe, were known as the "Four Great Anhui Troupes". (wikipedia) When these troupes merged to for the Beijing (Peking) Opera they introduced the finest combination of music, dance, martial arts, fine arts and acrobatics. (Beijingtrip). This theatre form is said to have fully developed after being introduced to the Hubei troupes in 1845. It was fairly common for the Anhui troupes and the Hubei troupes to collaborate and share the stage in Beijing. Another major innovation came in 1912 when the newly formed Republic of China lifted the ban on female performers. Although females had already been performing before the ban was lifted, this created an opportunity for more female troupes to spring up and become popular. Originally the Beijing Opera was set on a stage in the courts of the higher class but as the theatre form became popular with the common people the courts were ditched for tea houses and later, theaters.=====

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The Second Sino-Japanese War, fought between The Republic of China and the Empire of Japan, caused many major actors to be blacklisted from performing. This conflict broke out in 1937, eventually merging into the Pacific theatre of combat in World War II. It finally came to an end in 1945 with the devastating blast that brought the world into the atomic age. While China was occupied by the Japanese some major actors chose to continue performing even though it was for a Japanese audience. Later when the Japanese were expelled from China, those actors who performed for the enemy were blacklisted, destroying there careers.(Illuminated).=====

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A second, more devastating force, tore through China, forever changing Beijing Opera. When the Communist Party of China came to power in Mainland China in 1949, the newly formed government moved to bring art into line with Communist ideology.(Wikipedia). Those plays that did not have a communist theme were frowned upon and eventually banned. Five out of eight of the original "model plays" came from Beijing Opera, which meant that they had communist or revolutionary themes.(Wikipedia). Other plays could still be performed but they were heavily modified and had there endings changed to better suit the governments views. In the late 1970's traditional plays were permitted to commence performing. During this time in Taiwan the Republic of China encouraged the traditional Beijing Opera in hopes of securing the Chinese culture as there own. =====

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The Beijing Opera has played many roles over the years but its most influential came after China opened its doors to the world. It was seen as a bridge between Chinas culture and the rest of the worlds. Some troupes were allowed to tour and help spread a new view on China and its culture. Unfortunately attendance for the opera has dropped considerably in resent years. The younger audience has all but disappeared from the theatre in lieu of films that they can relate to. This became a problem with the Beijing Opera, its most popular plays could not relate to modern life. Many traditional plays have been refined to try and capture a more modern feel but this led to bad reviews because of the change. So new plays have been developed that have a more relatable theme and have had much better reviews. Even western plays have been tweaked for use in Beijing Opera.=====

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Today the Beijing Opera is in a slow decline with a lack of funding and an aging audience. Although it does have its niche and is a cultural treasure in China, Beijing Opera is standing at a crossroads and which direction it takes will ultimately determine its future.=====