In the end of Yuan Dynasty, Gu Sui, a famous founder of Kunqu Opera, improved the original vocal system popularizing around Kunshan, so it was called Vocals of Kunshan or Kunshan Qiang. It was the original Kunqu opera. In Ming Dynasty, the outstanding dramatist Wei Liangfu renovated and upgraded the vocal rule and singing style of Kunshan Qiang, and learned a lot from Haiyan Vocals and Yiyang Vocals as well as absorbed many good points of Northern Opera when he continued to spread the merits of Kunqu in the aspect of elegance and grace. So historically, Kunqu was also called Shuimoqiang(水磨腔). Liang Chenyu, a native of Kunshan, succeeded the achievements of Wei Liangfu, continued to do some research and reform to Kunqu Opera in the aspect of singing style and playing of musical instruments. It is a milestone in the development history of Kunqu Opera. 

The musical instruments for accompaniment include flute, Sheng, Suona, SanxiaN, Pipa and so on. The performance of Kunqu has its own unique system and style. The largest characteristic is its strong lyricism, delicate detailed act and elegant gestures and lines. In words, Kunqu is divided into two types: Southern Kunqu and Northern Kunqu. Northern Kunqu is mainly featured of Beijing's accent and style of singing. Since Song Dynasty, China has had the classification of Southern Opera and Northern Opera. Kunqu is the first representative of Southern Opera.

History of Kunqu Opera and Peony Pavilion

Kunqu opera originally called Kunshan Qiang or Kunqiang was born in Kunshan, Suzhou City. Kunqu opera is one of the most famous and oldest opera shows in history of China. Kunqu opera is also renowned as Kunju. Kunqu opera is the artistic representative of Chinese traditional culture, especially the gem of Chinese opera art and the orchid flower in gardens of Chinese operas. Roughly in middle of the 14th century, Kunqu was firstly shaped in the region around Kunshan, Jiangsu province. In Ming Dynasty, it belonged to the Opera System of South China and was ranked one of Four Top Vocal Operas Nationwide, equally famous as Yiyang Vocal Opera, Yuyao Vocal Opera and Haiyan Vocal Opera.Subsequently, Kunqu Opera became the most famous and influential vocal operas in Ming and Qing Dynasty. And diversity of operas grew up based on learning Kunqu, so, Kunqu also boasts The Mother of Chinese Operas. Kunqu Opera is seized of the most overall performance system. Thanks to its profound historic background and abundant legacy, Kunqu has been the biggest fruit in the process of national cultural and artistic development aside from Peking Oprea. Hence, Kunqu plays a critical role in China's history of literature, opera, music and dancing.

Kunqu Opera of China traditionally is considered to be the exclusive opera for well-educated elites or scholars for its lines and stories are closely linked to the classics and grace. Therefore, some authorities highly comment it as the Oriental Visual Show of Elegance. Kunqu Opera is perhaps the oldest opera in China for more than 700 years of history. Over the hundreds of years, Kunqu Opera shaped its own feature in different aspects. Also, Kunqu Opera is also listed into the first batch of UNESCO's Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity in 2001. This is the greatest honor of Kunqu opera, so is Chinese Culture. For sharing more about Kunqu Opera, something valuable are served as below:

Spring Festival had different names in different periods. Before the Qin Dynasty, it was called Shang Ri, Yuan Ri, Gai Sui, or Xian Sui, etc. In the period of the Han Dynasty, it was named San Chao, Sui Dan, Zheng Dan, or Zheng Ri, etc. In the Qin Dynasty, it was called Yuan Dan or Yuan Ri. In 1912, Dr. Sun Yat-sen became the temporary president of the Republic of China. He abolished the traditional lunar calendar and replaced it by solar calendar. January 1st was acknowledged as the New Year. However, the folks were still allowed to use the lunar calendar and the traditional festival went on as usual. In July, 1913, Yuan Shikai acknowledged Zheng Yue Chu Yi (Lunar January 1st) as Spring Festival. Since then, the Chinese New Year has been generally called Spring Festival.

According to historical records, the origination of the Spring Festival traces back more than 4,000 years ago to the reign of Shun, a legendary monarch said to have ruled ancient China around 2200 B.C. It is said that on the day when Shun succeeded Yao as the new leader of the country, he led his people to offer sacrifice and worshipping rituals to the heaven and the earth. And from then on, people treated the day as the beginning of a new year, namely Zheng Yue Chu Yi (正月初一), and started to hold celebrations on the day annually. However, Zheng Yue Chu Yi didn’t fall on the same day in different dynasties. For example, in the Xia Dynasty, it was the first day of Lunar January but in the Shang Dynasty it was Lunar December 1st. And in the Qin Dynasty it is Lunar October 1st that was officially acknowledged by the first feudal emperor of China – Qinshihuang as Zheng Yue Chu Yi. Later in the Han Dynasty, Han Wu Di, the seventh emperor of the dynasty, re-specified Lunar January 1st as Zhen Yue Chu Yi. From then on, Zheng Yue Chu Yi was fixed on Lunar January 1st.

As is known to all, Spring Festival is the most important festival in China. It is celebrated by the Han nationality and most of Chinese minority nationalities except the Tibetan, Bai, and Dai nationalities. The Spring Festival in the minority region often carries distinctive ethnic color, which is quite different from that of the Han people. Spring Festival has many symbolic meanings. It symbolizes not only a farewell to the old year and a welcome to the brand-new year but also the reunion of family members. Year by year, when the Spring Festival approaches, numerous Chinese far away from home hurry back home in succession for the family reunion. To go back home when the Spring Festival draws near is deeply rooted in Chinese personality. It is something of Chinese characteristic branded indelibly on every Chinese.

Spring Festival (春节), also known as Chinese New Year, is the most important tradition in China. More often than not, Chinese people prefer to call it Xin Nian (新年) or Guo Nian (过年) which literally means to celebrate the Spring Festival. In the narrow sense, Spring Festival refers to the Chinese New Year’s Eve and Chinese New Year’s Day. However, broadly speaking, it stretches from Lunar December 23rd or 24th of the year to Lunar January 15th of the next year according to Chinese lunar calendar.

Each year, the carefully rehearsed performances go on the stage one by one just like hundreds of flowers in bloom, presenting the best of China to all the audience. Each year there are great surprises. For example, the Thousand-Hand Kwan-yin Show in 2005 brought thunderous applauds. 21 deaf-and-dumb girls performed the dancing. As the music played, the girls danced gracefully to the gesture of their teachers just as if they can hear the rhythm. Everybody was touched at that moment. One could easily imagine what great efforts had the girls made to give such a perfect performance. There are disappointments, too, and the Chinese never mince words in commenting sharply on the bad performances, which actually promotes the continuous improvement of Spring Festival Gala Evening.

Spring Festival Gala Evening is a TV show specially designed for Spring Festival. Each year, at 8:00PM (Beijing Local Time) on Chinese New Year Eve, all the Chinese, men and women, old and young, sit in front of the TV set with their eyes sticking to the screen, some laughing at the comical performances, some criticizing the poor ones. Spring Festival Gala Evening first came into being in 1983. Newborn as it is, it is a significant element of Chinese New Year Culture and plays an important role in modern Chinese life. Spring Festival Gala Evening covers various art forms of Chinese characteristics, such as comic dialogues, short plays, pop music, traditional opera, dancing, acrobatic show, and Wushu show, etc.