Chinese Theatre

So, I knew very little about Chinese theatre coming into this, which is why I chose to create my blog about its history. I am a very visual learner which is why I love this sight! I basically learned all I need to know about the history of Chinese theatre through the pictures and videos provided on this site (there are so many!). It shows the progression through all of the different dynasties until present day which was really cool. Also, all of the pictures have very informative descriptions. For those of you who like to read, there is oodles of written info. The website is very clearly laid out which always make me very happy! You can also find similar information about the theatre history of several other Asian countries.

I discovered that the origins of Chinese theatre stem back to over 3000 years ago. Thank goodness the Chinese were very history-conscious, because we have been left with a great deal of written evidence about the traditional theatre practices.
A lot of information about the history of dance has been provided by terracotta statues which were made in the Tang-dynasty.
Most of the traditions of Chinese theatre are rooted in storytelling.
The Lion Dance, which is performed during the Chinese New Year, has been a tradition for hundreds of years.
It takes years to master the techniques required in Chinese theatre (acrobatics, long silk sleeves, martial arts).
Spoken theatre started to evolve at the beginning on the 20th century.
The Monkey King is a very popular character in many Chinese operas





 The Monkey King


Hurray for learning about Chinese Theatre history!