In the long history of China， the Yuan Dynasty （1271-1368） is somewhat special in that the empire was ruled by the Mongolian conquerors-descendants of Genghis Khan. It was a period when classical learning was swept aside and ignored， together with the pride and status of the Confucian scholars. It was probably this ideological vacuum and the freedom from traditional literary restraints at the top that gave rise to the flourish and bloom of this vernacular art - the drama， later known as zaju.Theaters mushroomed across the Country in both the rural and urban areas and became the major source of entertainment， as well as education， for millions upon millions of ordinary people. Their wish and worries were most vividly reflected on the stage. And by reading these plays today， we are still able to perceive the core values embraced by the Chinese culture.
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