A Study on the History of the Drama Movement in the Jin-Cha-Ji Border Region

This article reconstructs the historical trajectory of the drama movement in the Jin‑Cha‑Ji Border Region by examining its political genesis, cultural ecology, and revolutionary literary practice. It traces the movement’s evolution across three phases, its emergence alongside the founding of the border region (1937–1938), rapid diversification during the stalemate stage of the War of Resistance against Japan (1939–1942), and flourishing under the guidance of the Yan’an cultural line (1943–1945). Particular attention is paid to the proliferation and characteristics of distinct dramatic forms during 1939–1942, including living‑newspaper plays, village dramas, operas, modern spoken drama, and reform experiments in Peking Opera. The study argues that the Jin‑Cha‑Ji drama movement constituted a potent instrument of cultural resistance, an effective vehicle for mass mobilization, and a meaningful pathway for the renewal of traditional Chinese opera.