General Theory of Ming and Qing Dynasties' Legends

Legend, also known as Nanxi, represents a new development in the Ming and Qing Dynasties and is an important form of ancient Chinese opera. This book provides a comprehensive and in-depth study of the legends from the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Firstly, it examines and discusses the creative tendencies and writers' schools of legends from the Ming and Qing Dynasties in the context of the social characteristics of different periods. Secondly, it conducts special studies on some important legendary writers and works from the Ming and Qing Dynasties, such as Liang Chenyu and 'The Record of Washing Silk,' Tang Xianzu, Shen Jing, Wu Bing, Feng Menglong, 'The Southern Hong and Northern Kong,' and 'Leifeng Pagoda.' The book is divided into two parts based on this foundation. Additionally, the book discusses some operatic works and theoretical issues related to the creation of legends from the Ming and Qing Dynasties. In the discussion, it not only takes into account the historical context but also highlights key points, that is, through a series of special studies, one can see both the overall development of Ming and Qing legends and the shining points in the long river of their development.