This book examines the dynamic intermingling of Asian performance of theatre and dance across the borders of the ancient Silk Road, which connected China with cultures and countries throughout Asia, and beyond.

Revealing the dynamic interweaving of cultures between China and its neighbors from the time of the ancient Silk Road to modern times, the book demonstrates how such interweaving has been reflected and embodied in the performance forms and genres of East, South, and Southeast Asia. Through individual explorations of the artistic expressions in these Asian countries, the book reveals the transformative impact of the dissemination and interfusion of religion, beliefs, and cultural practices on the development of performance arts/genres in Asia. The book effectively displays how this robust interfusion across borders left a profound and indelible imprint on the various forms of artistic expression.

Representing a succinct analysis of the thousands of years of intercultural cross-fertilization and diffusion across borders of the performing arts in Asia, this book makes an important contribution to transcultural studies in theatre, dance, performance, literature.

Wei Zhang is Professor at Hangzhou Normal University. She is the author of Chinese Adaptations of Brecht: Appropriation and Intertextuality (2020). Her research has been published in Theatre Research International, Asian Theatre Journal, Comparative Drama, Classical Receptions Journal, and many other journals.