The Shanghai Style Beijing Opera: An active Advocator and Important Member of the May Fourth New Culture

The Shanghai Style Beijing Opera does not refer to Beijing Opera performed in Shanghai, but refers to a new artistic style which is formed in Shanghai during the late Qing Dynasty and the early Republic of China. Since the traditional Beijing Opera entered Shanghai in 1867, it has been deeply influenced by the industrial and commercial influence and cultural transformation developed by Shanghai. It has begun to perform new realistic stories, convey new social concepts, express new aesthetic experiences, and lead new aesthetic trends. Moreover, combining with the characteristics of business operations, it has shown a strong sense of innovation in many aspects such as the theme, the set and the techniques. In that a way, " Shanghai style Beijing Opera” which is completely different from the traditional style is gradually formed. It has had a broad impact on Chinese modern culture. The Shanghai Style Beijing Opera performs realistic themes to meet the needs of the citizens, advocates truth-seeking based on social conditions, promotes drama serial according to market, and spreads new ideas based on cultural exchanges between China and abroad. It not only embodies the transition of Chinese Aesthetics from " Classical” to " Modern”, but also reflects the change of Chinese social culture from " Ancient” to " Modern”. This is a long process from quantitative change to qualitative change, which took decades. The Shanghai Style Beijing Opera has participated in and carried this process, and has made important contributions to the promotion and accumulation of the May Fourth New Culture.