China opera first appeared in the form of Song and Yuan Dynasties, which marked the gradual maturity of China opera.
Southern Opera in Song and Yuan Dynasties, also known as Wenzhou Zaju and Yongjia Zaju, originated in Wenzhou. Later, Kunqu Opera also inherited and developed from Southern Opera, and the spread of Kunqu Opera formed a local opera with local characteristics. Peking Opera later merged the advantages of local operas, and finally gradually formed.
Why is China's traditional opera culture behind foreign countries 1000 years? From the external reasons, the development of commercial economy and the formation of civilian class in the Southern Song Dynasty are the main reasons for promoting traditional opera, which have been discussed in middle school textbooks.
The development of the imperial examination system in the Tang Dynasty, the wars of the Five Dynasties caused by the An-Shi Rebellion and the separatist regime in the buffer regions made the academic movement move down, the popularization process accelerated, and the development of popular literature and culture were all external reasons that hindered the development of traditional Chinese opera.
Another reason for the late formation of traditional operas in China is that there are too few good scripts.
Although these are the reasons that hinder the development of traditional Chinese opera, the most important reason is the rise of history. Literature and history are like fire and water. They have inherently contradictory genes. First, they need imagination, fiction, exaggeration and romantic feelings, and second, they need a true, rigorous, objective and realistic style, which leads to their natural eight-character conflict. Therefore, China's operas appeared many years later than those abroad.