Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v2.c10.45

v2.c10.45

**Drama** During this period there were dedicated art performance places in Bianliang (the present Kaifeng, the capital of Northern Song Dynasty), and Lin’an (the present Hangzhou, the capital of Southern Song Dynasty) which are called “Washe” or “Wazi”. China’s early dramas were created in Washe, and the humorous dramas satirising current affairs in the Northern Song were the most prominent. Actors played roles in different identities and carried on dialogue and performance in a given context, but the scale was not large. A drama called “*Connecting Three Religions*” was a humourous dialogue between a Confucian, Daoist and Buddhist. In addition, a poetic drama named *Mulian Saves his Mother* was performed from days 7 to 15 of the seventh month (the lunar calendar). All the above indicate that there were relatively complete poetic dramas revolving around Buddhism in Washe and they were well-received. In the later Northern Song, the Jin Dynasty founded by the Jurchen in the north gradually grew bigger and finally occupied Bianjing, destroyed the Northern Song. The North was claimed by the Jin Dynasty and the South was governed by the Southern Song. During this period, “Northern Poetic Drama” and “Southern Drama” came out in the North and South respectively. Until the Ming Dynasty, Chinese drama was divided into Southern and Northern systems. Some contents related to Buddhism can be found from dramas in the Southern Song and Jin: For example, Tang Sanzang, a story about a Tang Monk going on a pilgrimage for Buddhist scriptures. Moreover, there were some other dramas that were clearly linked to Buddhism.