The late appearance and late maturity of Chinese drama

WANG YAN

【Abstract】This article first describes the origin of Chinese drama. And then this article introduces the reasons for its late appearance and late maturity. Finally this article tells the inheritance and protection of Chinese drama.

【Key words】Chinese drama； Late appearance； Late maturity

【作者簡介】Wang Yan， College of Liberal Arts， Qingdao University.

1. The origin of Chinese drama

Tracing back to the origin of drama， we can trace the religious rituals and dances in the human tribe. This primitive form of drama has occurred universally in the ancient culture of mankind. But so far only ancient Greek dramas， ancient Indian scriptures and Chinese drama have not been significantly affected by foreign cultures. They develop freely into mature dramatic styles. Chinese drama has experienced the stage of primitive drama and primary drama. After a long evolution and development path， it has entered the mature drama of Chinese type.

2.The reasons for the late emergence and maturity of ancient Chinese Dramas

Chinese ancient dramas are about one hundred and seven hundred years later than ancient Greek dramas. The research of comprehensive scholars mainly focuses on the following three aspects.

2.1 The late emergence of developed commodity economy

Both drama and fiction belong to civic literature. Its formation and prosperity must be backed by the prosperity of the urban economy and the growth of the citizens. And the townspeople literature provides a strong material foundation for the development of dramas art. On the one hand， the new rural market economic organization was late. From the beginning of the northern and Southern Dynasties to the early Northern Song Dynasty， religious beliefs began to decline， which is the negative factor of drama. However， the positive factor is a new sacrificial organization based on the rural market economy developed at that time.

2.2 The restriction of ancient Chinese unique ideology， culture and social system

Economic reasons can not fully explain the late appearance of Chinese dramas. Many scholars try to analyze the unique political， ideological and cultural factors in ancient China. Firstly， ancient Chinese dramas is obviously entertaining and does not have the important political， cultural and educational status as ancient Greek drama. Secondly， the premature loss of Chinese ancient mythology and the early awakening of the consciousness of historians cut off the possibility that the Chinese ancient dramas were transformed directly from the sacrifices. Lastly， early prose literature is a work of philosophy or history. Language and drama are contrary to popular language.

2.3 The comprehensive and complexity of Chinese ancient dramas

With the deepening of the discussion， scholars gradually realized that feudal autocracy， natural economy and Confucianism are the external reasons for the late appearance of drama. And the internal reason is that Chinese ancient dramas are highly integrated artistic characteristics. As a comprehensive art that is obviously different from other categories， drama has its own unique development law. It requires the close cooperation of literati， actors and spectators to complete the entire artistic creation process. And only if the three conditions are complete， and they are in line with the renewal and revival of the dramatic values and narrative literary traditions in the cultural tradition， can the drama mature and prosper.

3.The inheritance and protection of the dramas

The dramas is a master of Chinese traditional culture. After the formation of a mature drama form of singing， doing， reading， and playing， the dramas has formed a variety of dramas due to the influence of different nationalities， different regions， languages， customs， and folk art. Traditional drama is an important part of Chinese intangible cultural heritage and a treasure of national folk art. In the worlds three classical plays， ancient Greek dramas and ancient India Sanskrit dramas have already disappeared on the stage. Only Chinese dramas is still active on the theatrical stage of urban and rural areas of the motherland. The dramas of various ethnic groups from all over the country not only reflect the commonality of Chinese culture， but also reflect the unique features of local and national culture. However， with the integration of the world economy and the development of information technology， the cultural characteristics of different nationalities and regions are becoming more and more desalinated or even disappeared. Therefore， the protection of the cultural heritage of dramas must not only become a slogan， a consensus， but also be implemented in the protection of each specific drama. And we should protect our spiritual heritage.