Research On Chinese Opera In The Liberated Area In North China During The Period Of Anti-Japan War

After the Anti-Japanese War started, the Chinese territory was divided into enemy-occupied areas, Nationalist-held areas and liberated areas. The art of Chinese opera suffered an unprecedented destruction. The liberated areas in North China, including Chin chaji border area, Shansi-Suiyuan Border Region, Shansi-Hopei-Shantung-Honan border area and Shandong area, was the largest and strategic notable battlefield behind Enemy Lines in all liberated areas. The condition there was extremely hard with unpredictable political situations, but the type of Chinese opera had not been destroyed, on the other hand some type had been developed. A lot of opera groups became active in the army, some local areas and in the vast villages. They became an important weapon against the enemies at that time of national disaster, and also acted a role as the unity of politics and culture.At the very time that the environment of the opera performing was breaking down, opera artists were destitute and homeless, the shortage of repertoire became more and more obvious. By answering the call of the national salvation movement, the revolution of the Chinese opera appeared on the scene. Under unified leadership of liberated areas, vast opera operators made reform at all aspects from artists’ideology and culture, style of life to the lists’thought, style of performance, managerial system etc. The reform at that time has no direct contact with the reform after the establishment of the PRC, but it is a necessary preparation for the reform after. At that time, some problems such as how to treat national arts like Chinese opera, the nationalization and popularization of the literature and art, the relation between popularization and improvement etc. caused big arguments. In1942, comrade Mao showed the public his famous article "the Lecture of A Talk in the Forum on Literature and Art in Yan’an". In the article he gave a brilliant argument about a series of the problems of literature and art, and made further clear the trend, aim, orientation and policy of the literature and art. Under the influence of the "Forum", the Chinese opera insist to serve the people, reflect the people’s life in the Anti-Japanese Base Area actively, moreover, it was active in exploring it’s artistic, and made a greater achievements together with the national anti-enemy movement. The construction of Chinese Opera repertoire in the liberated areas of North China became consolidated, modern opera, traditional opera and newly organized history opera competitively show themselves. Modern opera take a portion by53%among all the opera types, some strong influencing works such as "The Marriage of Young Blacky""Xue lei chou" came into being, they achieved the unite of politics and artistic.The creation and performing of numerous repertoire not only promoted the movement of the Anti-Japanese War, enriched the people’s cultural entertainment, but also pushed on the modernization of the Chinese opera art. Chinese opera became the main part of the cultural events in the liberated area of North China by its unique national characteristic, great popularity among the people, rich means of expression and good performing result. The opera activities in the liberated area of North China during the Anti-Japanese War, is an important part of modern Chinese opera history. The experiences of success and failure are of great realistic significance and theoretical value, they provide an important lesson for the later revolution and development of the Chinese opera art.