Zaju (literally meaning "variety show") was a form of Chinese drama or Chinese opera

Chinese opera

Chinese opera is a popular form of drama and musical theatre in China with roots going back as far as the third century CE...

 which provided entertainment through a synthesis of recitations of prose and poetry, dance, singing, and mime, with a certain emphasis on comedy

Comedy

Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...

 (or, happy endings). Zaju became particularly important about the time of the Yuan Dynasty

Yuan Dynasty

The Yuan Dynasty , or Great Yuan Empire was a ruling dynasty founded by the Mongol leader Kublai Khan, who ruled most of present-day China, all of modern Mongolia and its surrounding areas, lasting officially from 1271 to 1368. It is considered both as a division of the Mongol Empire and as an...

, and remain important in terms of the historical study of the theater arts as well as Classical Chinese literature and poetry

Classical Chinese poetry

thumb|right|300px|Attributed to [[Han Gan]], Huiyebai , about 750CE .Classical Chinese poetry is that type of poetry that is the traditional Chinese poetry written in Classical Chinese. It is typified by certain traditional forms, or modes, and certain traditional genres...

.

Characteristics

The Yuan zaju were poetic and musical dramas, in four (or, occasionally five) acts, the "act" was defined by a set of songs within a certain musical mode, lyrics were written to accompany existing tunes or set-rhythmic patterns, and the major singing roles were restricted to one star per act.

See also

• Aria
  Aria
  An aria in music was originally any expressive melody, usually, but not always, performed by a singer. The term is now used almost exclusively to describe a self-contained piece for one voice usually with orchestral accompaniment...
  
  
• Arts of China#Yuan drama
• Battle of Bowang
  Battle of Bowang
  The Battle of Bowang, also known as the Battle of Bowang Slope, was a battle fought between the warlords Cao Cao and Liu Bei in 202 during the prelude to the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history.-Background:...
  
  
• Chinese opera
  Chinese opera
  Chinese opera is a popular form of drama and musical theatre in China with roots going back as far as the third century CE...
  
  
• Chinese variety art
  Chinese variety art
  Chinese Variety Art is the name giving to the collection of performances that include a wide range of acrobatic, balancing acts and other spectacles performed by a troupe fashioned in traditional Chinese-style attire...
  
  
• Circle of Chalk
  Circle of Chalk
  Circle of Chalk , by Li Xingdao , is a Yuan dynasty Chinese classical zaju verse play, in four acts with a prologue...
  
  
• Classical Chinese poetry
  Classical Chinese poetry
  thumb|right|300px|Attributed to [[Han Gan]], Huiyebai , about 750CE .Classical Chinese poetry is that type of poetry that is the traditional Chinese poetry written in Classical Chinese. It is typified by certain traditional forms, or modes, and certain traditional genres...
  
  
• Culture of the People's Republic of China
  Culture of the People's Republic of China
  The culture of the People's Republic of China is a rich and varied blend of traditional Chinese culture with communist and other international modern and post-modern influences. During the Cultural Revolution, an enormous number of cultural treasures of inestimable value were seriously damaged or...
  
  
• Culture of the Song Dynasty
  Culture of the Song Dynasty
  The Song Dynasty was a culturally rich and sophisticated age for China. There was blossoming of and advancements in the visual arts, music, literature, and philosophy...
  
  
• Dan (Chinese opera)
  Dan (Chinese opera)
  Dan is the general name for female roles in Chinese opera, often referring to leading roles. There are a few different kinds of dan in Chinese opera. The commonly seen ones are 'Guimen Dan', 'Hua Dan', 'Daoma Dan', 'Wu Dan', 'Lao Dan' and 'Cai Dan'...
  
  
• The Injustice to Dou E
  The Injustice to Dou E
  The Injustice to Dou E , also known as Snow in Midsummer is a Chinese drama by Guan Hanqing during the Yuan Dynasty. This is one of Guan's most popular works, even in modern times....
  
  
• Kunqu
  Kunqu
  Kunqu , also known as Kunju , Kun opera or Kunqu Opera, is one of the oldest extant forms of Chinese opera. It evolved from the Kunshan melody, and dominated Chinese theatre from the 16th to the 18th centuries. The style originated in the Wu cultural area...
  
  
• Peking opera
• Proto-Mandarin Chinese
• Qu (poetry)
  Qu (poetry)
  In Chinese literature, qu , or yuanqu consists of sanqu and zaju . Together with the various shi and fu forms of poetry, the ci, qu, and the other fixed-rhythm type of verse comprise the three main forms of Classical Chinese poetry.Yuanqu is a form of Chinese opera, which became popular in Yuan...
  
  
• Sichuanese opera
• Theatre of China
• Wang Shifu
  Wang Shifu
  Wang Shifu was a successful Chinese dramatic playwright of the Yuan Dynasty.Born in Dadu, there is little known about him. There are 14 plays attributed to Wang and only three are extant. His Romance of the West Chamber is considered to be one of the most famous Chinese plays and is still popular...
  
  
• Yuan poetry
  Yuan poetry
  Yuan poetry refers to those types or styles of poetry particularly associated with the era of the Yuan Dynasty , in China. Although the poetic forms of past literature were continued, the Yuan period is particularly known for the development of the poetic aspects included in the complex mix of...