The History of the Chinese Traditional Opera in the Operatic Theory in Yuan Dynasty

In the studies of the opera in Yuan Dynasty, more attention is paid to the operatic works than to the operatic theory. Virtually scholars in Yuan Dynasty had their theories of opera, though unsystematically or in disorder. However, thorough study reveals that the scholars in Yuan Dynasty, who started with the stylistic evolution, did approach the stylistic characteristics of the poetic drama and the relationship between its origin and development, thus setting up the framework by stages of Yuan Dynasty and possessing an embryonic form of drama history.