Global Influence of Peking Opera Research Paper

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Peking Opera and Its Influence

Peking Opera is a form of conventional Chinese theatre whose origin can be traced back to the late 18th Century.  In comparison to the other kinds of Chinese theatre that existed at that time, Peking Opera was a relatively new style of drama.  This theatre involved the combination of music, dance, and acrobatics that was presented in a lively and colorful way (Gao par, 1).  During this ancient times, dancers would perform Peking Opera at religious ceremonies and feudal lords’ festivals.  While Peking Opera emerged in the late 18th Century, it became completely developed and recognized by mid-19th Century.  Since its inception, Peking Opera has played a crucial role in sharing the Chinese culture across the globe.  Peking Opera conveys a national spiritual essence that is accompanied with elegance and beauty.  Peking Opera has developed to become a tool of transnationalism and acculturation through conveying a unique national spirit throughout the world.

Purpose of this Study

This study seeks to examine the development of Peking Opera and its global influence, particularly its social impact.  The researcher seeks to determine the social impact of Peking Opera on numerous foreigners who speak little Chinese and come from various cultural backgrounds.  Additionally, this study will help to highlight how Peking Opera is utilized as a tool to promote social, cultural, and psychological change between the Chinese culture and other cultures from across the world.  This evaluation is carried out on the premise that this unique form of traditional Chinese theatre continues to attract many foreign nationals at a time when young Chinese do not care about it.  In essence, the study will help in understanding the unique aspects of Peking Opera, which makes it attractive to foreigners and contributes to its global impact of transnationalism and acculturation.

Research Question

To achieve the purpose of this study, the researcher has developed a research question that will guide the research process.  The research question to be answered in this study is, “What is the social impact of Peking Opera throughout the world in relation to culture and/or identity?”

Research Design

This study primarily relies on exploration of existing literature, articles, and publications on this issue.  Exploration of existing literature is considered as a suitable method to help answer the research question and achieve the purpose of the study because the research issue is exploratory in nature.  Since Peking Opera is a form of traditional Chinese theatre that has existed for centuries, it has attracted significant attention and been the subject of numerous studies and publication.  The issue has received considerable attention in publications/literature relating to culture, art, and music.  Therefore, a comprehensive review of existing studies and literature would help in determining its social impact and global influence as well as answering the research question.

Brief History of Peking Opera

Peking Opera is a form of traditional Chinese theatre whose origin can be traced back to the late 18th Century (Gao par, 1).  Peking Opera, which is also known as Beijing Opera, emerged in 1790, the eighth birthday of the Qianlong Emperor.  Prior to the emergence of this form of Chinese theatre, the elite nobility preferred Kunqu Opera, which was renowned for its fine language and elegant music.  On the other hand, Chinese commoners enjoyed various regional popular theatre styles, which were dismissed by the elite.  The preference of Kunqu Opera by the Chinese elite and nobility changed in 1790 following the introduction of Peking Opera or Beijing Opera.  The new form of traditional Chinese theatre was introduced when four seasoned drama troupes from Anhui province visited the capital and performed in celebration of Qianlong’s birthday in the imperial court.  Following their performance, Peking Opera was birthed and the four troupes later became known as the four great Anhui companies.  These troupes dominated this traditional form of Chinese theatre for the next century.

During the initial years of Peking Opera, all actors were men while the roles of women were played by young boys (Gao par, 4).  Women were not allowed to participate in Peking Opera performances during the initial years because of the view that interactions between sexes would result in immoral behavior (Chinavine par, 11).  During this period, women were prohibited from attending Chinese opera as well as participating in them in order to prevent the emergence of immoral behavior.

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  Ironically, most of the stories in Peking Opera fell into two major categories including wen, or civil theatre, which was centered on love, marriage, and other issues affecting the public.  The second category was known as wu, or military theatre, which was centered on themes of war that were characterized by thrilling acrobatic performances.

A significant turning point in the history of Peking Opera took place in 1900 when all great theatres in Beijing were burned down.  These theatres were burned down during the Boxer Rebellion, which was an uprising that had significant impact on Chinese art.  Following this calamitous period, the four great Anhui companies and others dissolved and provided a platform for individual artists to create their own performances.  Individual artists started to experiment with various styles including combination of traditional Peking Opera with Western drama influences.  Moreover, the new form of Peking Opera started to address contemporary issues in China including politics as well as advocating for social reform.  Since then Peking Opera has adopted more contemporary themes and styles and become a tool of unique national spiritual essence that is characterized by elegance and beauty.

Overseas Dissemination of Peking Opera

As Peking Opera has adopted more contemporary themes and styles in the past few decades, a significant number of foreign nationals has become interested in this form of traditional Chinese theatre (Min par, 1).  According to Liu, the significant interest on Peking Opera by an increasing number of foreigners is attributable to the fact that this form of traditional Chinese theatre has evolved from primitive religious rituals to a well developed form of artistic drama (p.2).  The modern Peking Opera is characterized by dramatic performance comprising symbolic gestures, poetic dialogues, dance-like body movements, signing, and dancing in coherence with music and rhythm (Liu, p.2).  Through this process, Peking Opera has developed to become a tool that highlights social and cultural differences between the Chinese and the world through the use of dramatic aesthetics and theatrical practices.

The overseas dissemination of Peking Opera can be traced back to more than eight decades ago when this form of traditional Chinese theatre was introduced to the world by Mei Lanfang who unveiled this mysterious oriental drama.  Since then, various individual artists have developed Peking Opera and introduced it to various parts of the globe.  For instance, in 2009, a full-length original Peking Opera Chibi appeared on several screens in Times Square, New York (Min par, 1).  This provided New Yorkers and other visitors to the city a chance to see and enjoy the beauty of Chinese culture.  Therefore, the introduction of Peking Opera to the world was not only a means of sharing the Chinese culture, but also provided artists with an opportunity to display Chinese excellence to the world.

Following the introduction of Peking Opera to the world, an increasing number of foreigners have become interested in this traditional form of Chinese theatre.  Foreigners are fascinated with the Chinese culture and excellence shown in Peking Opera, which makes them become more attracted to it.  Many foreigners are getting attracted to and interested in the Peking Opera at a time when many young Chinese people do not really care about it.  For individual artists and others, the Peking Opera is a symbol of national spiritual essence that is expressed using beauty and elegance. The unique national essence and cultural component in turn becomes the basis for the overseas dissemination of the Peking or Beijing Opera.

The overseas dissemination of Peking Opera has in turn provided the basis of its social impact and global influence.  As this form of traditional Chinese theatre is shared worldwide, it becomes a tool of….....

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