Which is earlier, Quyi or Opera?

This is an interesting question. Many students can't tell Quyi from traditional Chinese opera.

Let's look at the definition of Quyi: rap art, in which a person can perform with a musical instrument or a simple prop (folding fan, awakening wood, etc.). ), and the story is completely rap by the actor's mouth. Wang Guowei said that the definition of opera is to perform stories with songs and dances. Perform a love story with songs and dances. This is a performance. On the court, everyone plays a role and acts out the story. Of course, Quyi is simpler than traditional Chinese opera, so Quyi appeared earlier. However, the exact time is not clear. Drumming and storytelling figurines were unearthed in the tombs of the Han Dynasty, but there is no written record of such performances in historical materials. The national opera, now recognized by the industry as a mature drama, is the southern opera in the Southern Song Dynasty. Before that, the drama of the Song Dynasty, the drama of Jin and even the drama of joining the army in the Tang Dynasty were just funny performances with simple plots. The art of rap provides rich storylines for the development of traditional operas in China.

Read more books and find some scripts of southern operas and zaju.