The Dramatics Consumption And Daily Life In Jiangnan Area In Ming And Qing Dynasty(1465-1820)

During the period of Ming and Qing Dynasty, the performance of dramatics in the south of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River flourishes profusely, thus becoming an essential part of people’s recreational activities of that epoch. At that time, people from all levels of the society have access to enjoying the various dramatics performance regardless of their age, gender, social class and standard of culture and so forth. Simultaneously, enjoying a wide popularity coupled with increasing performance forms and growing performances of commercial troupe for the purpose of making profits, the dramatics performance exerts an extensive influence on the daily life of the public. Based on the perspective of social and cultural history, the present paper succeeds in putting emphasis on the discussion of the dramatics performance in Jiangnan area during that period of Ming and Qing, and then explicates the hidden reasons behind this phenomenon together with the historical influence on the society of that period. The paper is divided into six parts:Chapter one is a brief overview on the economics, politics, culture, and the social climate in the south of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River in Ming and Qing dynasty. After the establishment of Ming dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang politically strengthens the despotic rule and makes Nanjing the capital, thus laying firm foundations for Nanjing’s political standing. As a result, with less war and relatively steady politics, the south of the Yangtze River has becoming the crucial area in which the Ming dynasty consolidates the rule. The south of the Yangtze River has so far been the developed area in China. With the development of productive forces, people’s living standards rise relatively and group of the leisure class has continuously expanded with further strong desire for cultural consumption for the masses, all of which build the firm material bases for the prosperity of dramatics of the south of the Yangtze River during the Ming and Qing dynasty. Similarly, the culture in this area reaches its peak mainly including the fact that regardless of whether the literature or painting, ideology or education, all of these reach a higher stage. In the meanwhile, the social climate also makes a shift which is reflected in the increased popularity of extravagant tendency in the basic necessities of life since the middle and late period of Ming, which is also a significant promoter action for the development of cultural consumptions such as the dramatics consumption.Chapter two is a brief introduction of the development course of dramatics in Jiangnan area during the period of Ming and Qing. The development course can be summarized into four stages in the following:firstly, the reconstruction of the southern drama; secondly, the development of Kun Shan tune; thirdly, the grandeur of Kunqu Opera; the last one is the vigorous growth of local operas. Almost in1471, the skit of Southern Tunes gradually comes to develop many new tunes in different areas of the south of the Yangtze River and becomes prevalent among them while the Za Ju of Northern Opera flourishes under the dynasty falls into a decline, which eventually dies out in the middle period of Ming. With the reformation of Wei Liangfu, Kun Shan tune has gained its prominence. After the year of the Ming Emperor Wanli, Kunqu Opera develops rapidly and culminates in the late period of Ming dynasty. Until the earlier and middle period of Qing, Kunqu Opera comes to decline and the local operas advance rapidly.Chapter three indicates a research on the performance group of dramas, chiefly reflecting in three aspects:the place of performance, the artists of performance and the troupe company of performance. There are basically five kinds of performance places, that is, mortuary temple, private hall, tearoom and tavern, Ancestral Hall and boat or the waterside. In addition, the artists of performance, mostly concluding professional performer and family troupe, play a vital role in the dramatics market of that period. Primarily concluding professional troupe company and family troupe, the troupe company refers to the group or organization specializing in the dramatics performance, which is also a necessary part in the cultural market of dramatics in that period and the main provider of the products of dramatics culture.Chapter four examines the audience group of dramatics, consisting of the component of the audience, time of the theatergoing, as well as the motivation and price of dramatics consumption. The audience from the south of the Yangtze River in Ming and Qing dynasty are very large, including the different levels of the society. During the performance of dramatics, the appreciating drives of audience from all classes differ consequently, which have a deep impact on the dramatics creating and performance. What’s more, the theatergoing time of the audience in Ming and Qing dynasty varies. In Ming, the audience choose the time to appreciate the dramas according to their wishes, but mainly at night. However, in Qing, most evening performances are forbidden with the enhancement of the Court’s control. On the other hand, certain motives of this consumption including five needs such as recreational need, aesthetic need, communicating need, belief need and star-pursuing need exist. With the help of these needs, the audience not only feel like going to the theater, and also spending a plentiful of time and money.Chapter five addresses an analysis on the government’s management and the self-regulation among the people concerning dramatics in Jiangnan area in Ming and Qing dynasty. Relatively speaking, the governmental management of Ming over the dramatics is slack. Since the Qing dynasty, the Qing government reinforces the control of varied dramas and fictions in connection with "obscenity" in order to consciously carry out the political education mainly containing the enhancement of the Neo-Confucianism and the implementation of Confucian culture. Based on various strategies and methods of banning the drama in successive dynasties, the authorities in Qing intensify the institutional system of banning the drama and make use of the public opinion and the folk economic force and the specialized institution established by the government to confiscate, ban and destroy the drama programs and dramatics activities on a large scale, thus strongly and fatefully influence the development tendency of dramatics in Qing dynasty. The methods of the management include the restraint of performance place and time, the strict control over the performers and the audience. In light of the self-regulation among the people, the troupe company in Ming and Qing dynasty not only set up specialized organization to be in charge, they also form certain norms inside the company. In general, the governmental management in Ming and Qing dynasty systematizes and normalizes gradually.Chapter six suggests a historical observation about the changes and influences of dramatics consumption in Jiangnan area during period of Ming and Qing. The Ming and Qing dynasty is a period in which the traditional society revolutionarily changes. The dramatics consumption in Jiangnan area makes a series of changes:the place of performance gradually becomes fixed and complete; the social and economic states of the actors rise relatively higher; the market conscious of the theatrical troupe comes to heighten; the consumption awareness of the audience from all levels of the society come to promote. However, the development of commercial economy, the daily need of the public, and the general prosperity of the cultural market are the main motives to promote the change of dramatics consumption in Jiangnan area. The constant changes of dramatics consumption have numerous effects on people’s material and spiritual life, which on the one hand enriches the recreational life of the public, perfects the folkway and adjusts social relations, spurs the development of relative industries and enhances the employment rate of society on the other hand. Nevertheless, these changes at the same time bring about the prevailing of extravagant vogue.