Chinese comedy (original) (raw)

Chinese comedy has a long history that dates back to the Zhou Dynasty (1100 BC to 221 BC) when the aristocracy kept jesters in their homes.At that time people in higher society were profoundly influenced by the teachings of Confucius, and as a result comic shows were usually looked down upon in feudal China. During the late Qing Dynasty (1644–1911) and Republic of China period, different styles of comedy flourished in big cities and the genre of xiangsheng comic drama began to emerge. Since the 1980s, the rapid development of media throughout the country has led to the formation of new forms of comedy, which have become popular among the general population. Today, the most consumed genres of Chinese comedy are Chinese skit and Xiangsheng.