IN modern cosmopolitan cities such as Shanghai, nightlife can be extremely fantastic or hectic.

　　Yet there is also no denying the fact that most of these fancy reveries were introducedsintosChina quite late, since the 1930s.

　　Unlike many youngsters would assume that their grandparents' lives were actually anything but interesting, folk arts invented by our ingenious ancestors are not only regarded as national treasures now, but also enjoy everlasting popularity. The Yueju Opera is one of them.

　　Originating in Shengzhou of Zhejiang Province in 1906, Yueju Opera was at first presented in the form of "rap songs" sung by farmers in the local dialect. Since percussion instruments such as hardwood clappers were the only accompaniment, sameness or dull repetition in sound was apparently unavoidable, but due to the possession of a vivid "gut and salt" language, the newborn "Sheng Opera", as it was called then, soon became extraordinarily popular.

　　It was in 1916 that the "Sheng Opera" started making its debut in Shanghai. And it was in 1923, when the troupe was invited to perform at the Great World, that the opera really took root in Shanghai.

　　Called the "Shaoxing Opera" by Shen Daily, the most influential newspaper of the time in Shanghai, the troupe was originally composed entirely of men. Unexpectedly, however when women's troupes were established after 1923, they gained more applause than their all-men counterparts and gained a place for themselves little by little.

　　Shaoxing was confirmed as the capital of the Yue State during the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC) by historians, therefore, in 1938 the opera was renamed "Yue Opera". During the War of Resistance against Japan (1937-45), the Yue Opera was undergoing its teething time. Yuan Xuefen won the regard of the avant-garde for the Yue Opera, establishing the Shanghai Xuesheng Yue Opera Troupe with Fan Ruijuan in 1945, she adapted Lu Xun's "Blessing" for the stage and renamed it "Sister-in-law Xianglin", creating what was considered the landmark of Yue Opera reformation.

　　The year 1947 marked the prime time for the Yue Opera. The 10 most famous Yue Opera actresses gave a joint performance of "Shanhe Lian", adapted from "The Three Musketeers" of Alexandre Dumas, at the Golden Theatre. It was a non-profit performance dedicated to raising funds for the establishment of the Yue Opera Experiment Auditorium and a school specialized in teaching Yue Opera, but unfortunately, due to the interference of Kuomintang reactionaries, Yuan's brainchild was ultimately aborted.

　　After liberation in 1949, the Yue Opera was further promoted all over the world.