Shaoxing Mulian Opera

Shaoxing Mulian opera tells the story of the monk Mulian rescuing his mother and is one of the principal forms of the watertown's 'shexi' village theatre and folk opera. It is listed as a national ICH item.

It is staged in many ways — full-length runs, blends with other Shaoxing operas, and temple-fair turns such as the 'impermanence' figures and the mute 'Ya Mulian.' Its tunes, collectively called 'Mulian melodies,' draw on high-pitched, luantan, chant and folk-song styles, with dialogue largely in Shaoxing dialect, marking it a ritual drama tied to religious rite.

The opera carries Shaoxing's folk customs and moral teaching; Lu Xun, who performed in it and described it in essays such as 'Wuchang,' raised its profile, making it an important window onto Jiangnan ritual theatre.