When did China Opera first come into being?

China opera can be traced back to the Qin and Han Dynasties. However, the formation process was quite long, and it was not formed until the Song and Yuan Dynasties. Mature operas should start from Yuan Zaju, develop and mature continuously in Ming and Qing Dynasties, and enter modern times. They have flourished for more than 800 years. China's opera originated from the song and dance in primitive society, and only after the Han, Tang, Song and Jin Dynasties did it form a relatively complete opera art, which was mainly composed of three different art forms: folk song and dance, rap and comedy. Zaju in the Northern Song Dynasty developed together with hundreds of dramas in Washe Goulan. In the Southern Song Dynasty, it developed into two things with different names, namely Song Zaju and Jin Zaju. Song Zaju is the earliest drama form in China, and it is also an important art form before the transition to Yuan Zaju. To sum up, we can draw the following conclusions: China's opera art form should be a song and dance that originated from primitive society. In the Southern Song Dynasty, Song Zaju became the earliest opera art form in China.