Kunqu Opera (Kun Qu)

With its roots in the folk songs of the mid 14th century, Kunqu Opera was refined over a period of nearly 200 years to stand out prominently among all the schools of opera in China. Kunqu was listed as a "Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity" by UNESCO in 2001.

Kunqu Opera is acknowledged as an elegant opera in terms of music, recitation, and the performers' movement. It is foremost acclaimed as "watermill song" because of its soft arias and the graceful movement of its performers. Carrying forward the tradition of ancient poetry and common speech, the art is also of very high literary value. Nowadays visitors can see professional Kunqu Opera in Suzhou Kunqu Theatre. To know more about the Kunqu Opera, one can also visit the Kunqu Opera Museum in Tinglin Park, Kunshan town of Suzhou City.