What is the history and origin of Xiaoman Opera?

Xiaoman opera is a traditional folk performance to reward the gods, which is deduced from the traditional worship of the ancestors. It has a sufficient mass base and a wide geographical scope, and it is also driven by economic interests. Mao Dun included his article "A Little Man's Play of Shengze" in "One Day in China" edited by 1936, which said: "It is said that the ancestor of silkworm thread, Silkworm Flower Lady, is one of them. They want to commemorate the Silkworm Flower Lady and hope that the Silkworm Flower Lady will bless the silkworms raised by farmers in the four townships with a bumper harvest, so they have this superstitious behavior, but half of them are thinking about their own interests and the other half are for their own interests. Xiaoman Opera has become a social folk activity with industry characteristics.

According to records, in the seventh year of Qing Daoguang (1827), Xianshen Temple was built in Jiangnan Shengze Silk Industry Institute. The theater is specially built in the temple, with a balcony on the side (equivalent to the box of the theater), and the slate square under the stage can accommodate 10 thousand people to watch the play. Three days before and after Xiaoman was funded by Silk Industry Office, and all classes were invited to sing drama. However, there is also an industry taboo in acting, that is, operas with illegitimate children and dead people can't be staged. Because "private" and "death" are homophones of "silk", the three-day performances are all auspicious dramas decided by the directors of the Silk Industry Office after repeated consideration for Geely.