A Study of the Interaction Between Folktales and Folk Literature and Art through the Legend of Butterfly Lovers

The Legend of Butterfly Lovers (Liang-Zhu) was spread nationwide in China by means of various folk art forms including folk oral narrative as well as traditional folk operas. Such an interaction between folktales and folk literature and art has not only promoted the flourishing of the Liang-Zhu-related art forms but also exerted an important influence on the development of and folk literature and art. This paper aims to make a case study to explore the nature of such an cultural phenomenon.