Kun Opera And The Modern Time Chiang-Nan Social Life

Kun Opera has been spreading from Suzhou City to other Chiang-Nan areas quickly with new gesture since it was reformed from Kun Shan Opera by Weiliangfu during Jiajing Period in Ming Dynasty. It became the leading opera and expired the heat of its performance. Most people were used to performing Kun Opera in the social activities of religious belief, celebration, communication, traveling, etc. Even some persons took it as one major subject in everyday life. The first reason why it could be widely spread was that there was comparatively huge number of free mass in Chiang-Nan and people's consumption ability was strong. Second, the characteristic style of Kun Opera fascinates different kinds of people. Third, the ritual and character of Kun Opera met the thought of trending to for opera and avoiding demon existing in people's mind. Besides, it was influenced by cultural policy which was supported and protected by the government.As an active muscle cell, Kun Opera's main functions exist in decorating social life. As a media of communication, it could melt the relationship among people, break down the unfriendly wall among different society groups. And it had the positive meaning in weakening the identity differences. It spread the knowledge of culture, morality, education, the latest information, even the thought of opposing traditional wedding of feudalism. It also influenced every aspect of Chiang-Nan people's social life. It had been transferred into other art forms and had a function of decorating the social life indirectly. It promoted the booming of manufacturing and brought along the development of some relative service industries. Teaching, learning and performing such kind of opera became one way of making a living especially in the poverty class. The negative effect of causing and enhancing social state of illness also could not be neglected.Kun Opera had been popular in Chiang-Nan for more than 200 years. When it walked into modern times, its appearance had a great change. Its activity center was converting to Shanghai along with the trace of migration of Jiangsu and Zhejiang. In the "big dye vat", its content and form had changed greatly. Meanwhile, new and modern performing tactics...