Friday, July 11, 2008
The Song Dynasty (960-1279) witnessed a thriving urban economy and the appearance of an influential social stratum consisting of townspeople. Large-scale variety shows like those organized by courts during the Han and Tang periods were rarely seen in the Song Dynasty instead,Waziyuepeng(amusement centers) where acrobats, dancers, martial arts practitioners and balled singers performed together could be found in flourishing cities like Bianliang (today's Kaifeng, Henan Province), the capital of Northern Song, and in Lin'an (today's Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province), the capital of Southern Song. The fact that artists from different professions performed together enabled them to learn from each other and helped shape the unique art form of Chinese opera. A mural dating back to the Song Dynasty found in Dunhuang, Gansu Province, shows an acrobat balancing a long pole on his head while a young boy performed aerial stunts to musical accompaniment.

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