About Kunqu

Kunqu Opera, which has a history of 600 years, is the oldest extant form of Chinese opera. The popularity of Peking Opera rose rapidly in the mid-1800s, gradually becoming the most established form of traditional Chinese theater and this in turn marginalized Kunqu for many years.

Kunqu, generally considered more refined than Peking Opera, has since 2001 been listed by UNESCO as a masterpiece of oral and intangible heritage of humanity.

There are seven major Kunqu Opera troupes in the Chinese mainland: Northern Kunqu Theater (Beijing), Shanghai Kunqu Opera Troupe, Suzhou Kunqu Opera Troupe, Jiangsu province Kunqu Opera Theater (Nanjing), Hunan Kunqu Opera Troupe (Chenzhou), Yongjia Kunqu Opera Troupe, and Zhejiang province Kunqu Opera Troupe.