Kunqu opera is one of the oldest traditional operas of the Han nationality. Why is Kunqu Opera an elegant part and Beijing Opera a flower part?

In the drama of Qing Dynasty, Ya Bu refers to Kunqu opera, which is mainly composed of zaju and legends, and is more elegant and delicate, hence the name; Flower department refers to local operas, such as Beijing Opera, Shaanxi Opera and Bangzi Opera. , popular, simple and diverse. In the early and middle period of Qing Dynasty, the elegant department occupied a dominant position in court drama, but in the late Qing Dynasty, the elegant department gradually declined and the flower department gradually rose.

In the mid-Ming Dynasty, Kunqu opera gradually rose. After a long-term competition with local operas, Kunqu opera gradually took advantage. After entering the Qing Dynasty, although various local dialects sprang up suddenly, Kunqu opera was still in a dominant position.

Kunqu opera is called the "orthodox tune", while other local operas are discriminated against. However, in the early Qing Dynasty, the names of Yabu and Huabu did not appear. It was not until the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty that the distinction between elegant department and flower department began to appear. The dispute between flowers and elegance lasted from the middle of Ming Dynasty to the middle and late Qing Dynasty, and the flower system gradually declined and gained advantages during Daoguang period of Qing Dynasty.

In the Qing Dynasty, the commodity economy was more developed, the urban population increased unprecedentedly, and the transportation became more convenient. More rural troupes have entered cities, and a large number of troupes have gathered in Beijing, Yangzhou, Chengdu, Guangzhou and other cities.

At that time, the centers of traditional Chinese opera were Beijing in the north and Yangzhou in the south. Because Beijing is the capital, the powerful, high-ranking officials and rich people in the Qing Dynasty all like to watch plays as entertainment. Excellent theatrical troupes from the Flower Department and the Ya Department gather in Beijing, while most famous southern troupes such as Huiban go to Beijing to win audiences and expand their influence.

Yangzhou is the intersection of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal and the Yangtze River. The Qing Dynasty was famous for its developed salt industry, and a large number of salt merchants gathered in Yangzhou. These salt merchants live a luxurious life and like to raise or hire troupes to sing operas, so Yangzhou is also a place where troupes gather, and most troupes from southern provinces perform in Yangzhou. Ya Bu didn't lag behind, so he had to learn from Hanbu, borrowed from Hanbu in the script, and created some new plays, which were more grounded and easy to understand.

In addition, Ya Bu also carried out reforms in dubbing, language and singing, which brought new vitality to Jacob. At the same time, Hanbu actively learned from Ya Bu in repertoire, singing and music, which made Hanbu get rid of the vulgar tendency and become more artistic. In Qing Dynasty, Ya Bu and Huahua were in a special relationship of mutual competition and reference.