| Abstract |
For centures, Yangchow had been the most prosperous place in Mainland China. Emperor Kso Tsung of the Ching Dynasty, when went on his imperial tours to the south, had choosen Yangchow as his favorite lodging place. Wealthy salt businessmen entertained the emperor as luxurious as they could. The performance of local opera was a typical programs. From then on, salt businessmen supported drama troupes regularly. They even established family troupes, recruited famous teacher, educated talented actors, and prepared gorgeous costume. Some of the performances even cost millions dollars each time. Generally, a family troupe was consisted with seven groups of Kun Chu（昆曲）and a group of musicians. The family troupes functioned as training schools of local opera. The members of family troupes usually had higher qualifications. In the period of Emperor Kao Tsung of the Ching Dynasty, Hues, the Changes, the Hungs, and the Te-Yin family troupe. These troupes had devoted to develop specific skills and to create new styles. Their performance had great influence on later generations. In this paper, I explore the background that family troupes was supported by salt businessmen of Yangchow in the Ching Dynasty, the extravagance of their performance, as well as their programs and costume.
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