Six Yuan Plays Author:Liu Jung-en (Translator) Although their Mongol overlords (beginning with the founding of the Yuan dynasty by Kublai Khan in 1280) tyrannized the Chinese in nearly every area of life, the arts enjoyed a new-found freedom. On the one hand oppressed, on the other released from the straight-jacket of Confucianism, the Chinese made the most of recent developments in poetry a... more »nd drama. Yuan plays were a tonic, an amazing spectacle -- colorful outbursts of singing, dancing, music, acting and mime. They poured new life into old stories -- oppressors were ridiculed, servants became masters, scenes changed, day followed night in the twinkling of an eye -- and audiences flocked to enjoy what must have been complete entertainment.
Contents:
Chi, C. The orphan of Chao. --
Chêng, T. The soul of Chʻien-Nü leaves her body. --