Why was Peking Opera called "eunuch play" at first, and all the actors were eunuchs?

The reason why Peking Opera has this nickname is really related to the participation of many eunuchs in Peking Opera performances at that time. In just a few decades after the Qing Dynasty made its capital in the Central Plains, it flourished under the governance of Kangxi, Yongzheng and Qianlong. When Qianlong ascended the throne, all fields of the Qing Dynasty developed well, and Qianlong was also an outstanding king, so the overall development situation of the Qing Dynasty was very prosperous during his reign. Because of the economic prosperity, there were many people at that time? Leisure? For entertainment.

This social phenomenon is particularly prominent in Jiangnan, because Jiangnan is a fertile land, and many big businessmen come from here. These wealthy businessmen and some literati began to form theatrical troupes for entertainment. At that time, this trend became popular in a short time. Later, when Gan Long visited Jiangnan, local officials invited a troupe to perform for him to please him. Qianlong, who has lived in the north for a long time, has never seen a troupe performance, so he thinks this kind of performance is novel and interesting. Later, when Qianlong was eighty years old, he came from the south? Sanqing Huizhou class? He was also invited to Beijing to perform for him.

Have a drink. Sanqing Huizhou class? After this successful model, other southern theatrical troupes began to develop to the north, but in the end, apart from Sanqing, there were only three Huizhou troupes left: Sixi, Hechun and Chuntai. After these Huizhou classes arrived in Beijing, they borrowed and integrated the performances of other operas, and then gradually derived Peking Opera. However, at the beginning of the birth of Peking Opera, its audience was not many. Later, it was precisely because Cixi liked listening to Peking Opera that Peking Opera began to develop rapidly.

Because there were no female operas in Qing dynasty, men and women were not allowed to perform on the same stage, and the role of Peking Opera performance was usually played by men. However, once a man's voice has passed the period of voice change, it often becomes rich and different from a woman's voice. Eunuchs, on the other hand, have been castrated since childhood, so their voices can remain clear even when they are adults. Therefore, many eunuchs were sent to learn Peking Opera in the Qing Dynasty, and Cixi, who loves Peking Opera, once held Peking Opera classes in the palace. That's why Beijing Opera is called? Eunuch play? .