Chinese Xiqu Performance and Moving-Image Media

This article analyses various approaches to the transposition of Chinese xiqu performance into moving-image media in terms of preserving xiquʹs aesthetic aims. Pre- and post-Cultural Revolution filmic examples, as well as contemporary television serials, are discussed. I argue that within a ʹcinema of attractionsʹ rather than a realist line of inquiry, ʹfilmed theatreʹ continues as a viable and valued stream of access to xiqu performance for contemporary audiences.