The Yiyang tune -- one of the four great tunes from the Southern
Opera (the other three are Yuyao, Kunshan and Haiyan tunes) -- played a
significant role in the development of Chinese opera.
The Yiyang tune was formed at the end of the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) and the beginning of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) in Yiyang County, Jiangxi Province.
As early as the Yongle reign (1403-1424) of the Ming Dynasty, the Yiyang tune
was not only prevalent in Jiangxi Province, but also in Anhui, Fujian, Yunnan
and Guizhou provinces.