The Research On The Yangzhou's Theatres From The Middle Age Of The Qing Dynasty To The Early Years Of Republic Of China

As one of the most important locations where the Chinese opera developed, the city of Yangzhou can hardly be ignored when the history of Chinese theatres is studied, either by native or foreign scholars. However, it is not easy to find details about Yangzhou's theatres, especially the commercial theatres, even in those specific studies on them.The paper tries to sort out the history of the evolution of theatres in Yangzhou, and the era lasts from the middle of the Qing Dynasty to the early years of Republic of China. The various forms of theatres, such as the worship dramas theatre, the royal palace theatre, the private theatre and the provisional theatre, are analyzed. And the characteristics of these different theatre forms are explored, as well as the historical reasons and the cultural roots of their birth and development. The research focus is on Yangzhou's commercial theatres during this time. The items, locations, quantities of those theatres are introduced firstly, together with the operas played in them. Then the characteristics and the social background of Yangzhou's commercial theatres are studied. The regional culture characteristics of them in this time are deeply analyzed at last.