Kunqu

Kunqu (崑曲; pinyin: Kūnqǔ; Wade-Giles: k'un-ch'ü), also Known as Kunju, Kun opera or Kunqu opera, it is one of the oldest existing forms of Chinese opera. It evolved from Kunshan music, and dominated Chinese theater from the 16th to the XVII. Kunqu originates from the Wu cultural area, and there are professional groups established in Nanjing, Shanghai and Suzhou.

The Kunqu opera was considered a Masterpiece of Oral and Intangible Heritage in 2001 by UNESCO, and was definitively inscribed in 2008 on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.