Singapore University of Social Sciences

Chinese drama is an integral part of traditional Chinese literature and culture. The earliest forms of Chinese drama in Southeast Asia were likely to be local operas from Guangdong and Fujian. As early as the end of the Song Dynasty and the beginning of the Yuan Dynasty in the 13th century, officers and soldiers of the Southern Song Dynasty, who had lost hope of recovering their country, fled and settled in today's Southeast Asia, bringing along with them local opera from their hometown as a form of entertainment, hereby heralding the earliest spread of Chinese opera overseas. Through this course and a critical review of the literature, students will understand the origin, formation and development of classical opera. There will be an opportunity for practical experience of Chinese opera as an organism of comprehensive literature and art, allowing students to have a deeper understanding of Chinese classical opera and its development in Singapore.