The Peony Pavilion was written by Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) playwright Tang Xianzu.

One of the oldest traditional opera forms still performed in China, Kunqu Opera was born in the region of Kunshan in today's Suzhou, Jiangsu province. It has distinguished itself by the virtuosity of its rhythmic patterns and exerted a dominant influence on all the more recent forms of opera in China, such as Peking Opera. Combining songs performed in the Suzhou dialect, graceful body movements, martial arts and dance, Kunqu Opera uses a seemingly endless variety of gestures to express specific emotions.

In 2008, UNESCO inscribed Kunqu Opera on the representative list of intangible cultural heritage of humanity.