Xiju 戲劇 and Xiqu 戲曲

The Chinese terms xiju 戲劇 and xiqu 戲曲 can generally be translated as “drama/theatre” and “traditional Chinese performing art,” respectively, although the historical and current usages of the terms are much more complicated and not without controversy. To start with, the xiju volume of the Zhongguo dabaike quanshu 中國大百科全書 (1989, Encyclopedia of China), which was published in 1989, defines xiju in both narrow and broad terms:

In modern China, the term xiju has two meanings: Its narrow definition refers to the form of stage performance that began in ancient Greek tragedy and comedy, evolved in European countries, and was later widely popularized in the world. It is called “drama” in English and huaju [話劇] in China. Its broad definition also includes traditional stage performance forms of certain countries and ethnicities in the East, such as Chinese xiqu, Japanese kabuki, Indian classical drama, and Korean changgeuk.

(Tan 1989, n.p.) The same volume defines xiqu as

a uniquely Chinese performing art that focusses on singing and combines multiple artistic elements. In the history of Chinese literature and art, xiqu has encountered various definitions. In modern times, it is the general and collective name for the traditional performing art forms of all ethnicities, regions and historical periods in China.

(Liu H. 1989, n.p.) In other words, today, xiju means both drama/theatre in general and Euro-American spoken theatre (together with its Chinese incarnation huaju) in particular, while xiqu specifically refers to traditional Chinese performing art forms as a branch of xiju in its broad meaning. This dual definition for xiju portends an inherent Eurocentrism that equates spoken theatre with human dramatic practice while relegating xiqu to a less important position, which, as we will see, not only reflects the historiography of Chinese performing arts since the turn of the twentieth century but also continues to affect current stage practices and academic studies.