Mulian Opera got its name from a play named Mulian Rescues His Mother. As the oldest theatric genre, it can be called the ancestor of dramas. Mulian Opera is a theatric performance which is preserved in folk conventional activities. Its name originates in the tale of Mulian saving his mother, a major play performed in the opera. The tale can be traced back to Buddhist scriptures. For hundreds of years, Mulian Opera has enjoyed great popularity among people, which can be attributed to its features. Developed by innumerable artists, Mulian Opera boasts a grand and complex theatric form, inclusive techniques of performance, abundant musical subjects, fusion of emotions with the natural setting, and interaction between the performers and audience.
Stories in Mulian Opera derive from Buddhist scriptures such as Jing Lü Yi Xiang (a collection of Buddhist stories) and Buddha Elaborating Ullabana Sutra. From the early Eastern Han Dynasty to late Ming Dynasty, a complete and complex system of Mulian stories were gradually fostered, owing to the evolvement of Buddhist scriptures, Bianwen (a literary genre of talking and singing) and skits. There were historical relations between Mulian stories and the emergence of varied art forms as well as the vicissitudes of Buddhism. Throughout history, Mulian Opera has been recognized as the most famous Han Buddhist drama with the most extensive repertoire. Best preserved, it boasts the richest content and the largest scale. Filial piety is highly valued in the tale of Mulian saving his mother. This corresponds with the traditional Chinese morals which give priority to filial piety over any other benignity. Therefore, Mulian Opera is readily accepted where Han people live. Ever since Emperor Liangwu from the Southern Dynasty advocated Ullabana, it has become part of Han custom and has been passed down from generation to generation.
Anhui Mulian Opera is also called "Daxi" (literally big play) for the following reasons. For one thing, it boasts a fixed and decent repertoire, authentic and colorful arias, magical and exaggerating facial makeup, and a complete package of costumes and paraphernalia. For another, it pursues ostentation and extravagance. There are also a number of rules to follow during the performance. Besides, Mulian only contends against Peking and Anhui Operas. Originally, its aria takes on the form of successive tunes. However, in the late Qing Dynasty, artists began to be familiar with Peking and Anhui Operas, thus the aria becoming more similar to Banqiang style (performed in metrical couplets). Facial makeup can mainly be divided into two types, namely, Jing, characters with painted facial makeup (including Sheng, male character, and Dan, female characters), and Chou, clowns. By means of red, black, and white paints, facial makeup in Mulian Opera breaks down into a couple of types, including the painted face, standard face, grimace, the face in the shape of a shoe-like gold ingot, and the face painted in three separate parts. There are complicated rules for the performance. Abundant in local dialects and idioms, Mulian Opera is featured by simple librettos. Interspersed with acrobatic performances such as flipping, kicking jugs, rope skipping, and leaping through a fire ring, the performance becomes even more exciting and splendid. Artistically, Anhui Mulian Opera was influenced by Yiyang and Qingyang arias from the very beginning. It was originally performed in a sonorous aria. Later it incorporated Kunqu Opera, Luantan (miscellaneous arias), and Hui plays. Anhui Mulian Opera is important in theatric history, given its long history and great influence.
Mulian Opera is recognized as "living fossil of Chinese theater". It has provided valuable information for studying the origin, evolution, development and inheritance of Chinese theater. Without scripts or music scores, Mulian Opera has been passed down orally by the aged. It is said that in the past, a play could be staged all night for nine consecutive days. Mulian Opera was then very popular among people.
