Mulian Opera is a kind of opera performance preserved in folk activities. It is named after the story of Mulian saving his mother. The story of Mulian saving his mother was first recorded in Buddhist classics. The main content is as follows: Fu Xiang helped the poor and orphans throughout his life, and taught monks and Taoists. He was conferred a title after ascending to heaven. Fu's wife Liu Qingti (also known as Liu Si Niang) was disrespectful to gods, broke the precepts and killed animals. After her death, she was sent to the underworld. His son Fu Luobu went to the West to ask Buddha for salvation to save his mother. The Buddha was moved by him and allowed him to convert to Buddhism, changed his name to Mahamaudgalyayana, and gave him the Ullambana Sutra and a staff. Mulian went through hardships in hell and finally found his mother. The family reunited and ascended to heaven. For hundreds of years, after being tempered by countless artists, Mulian Opera has been popular among the people for its broad and diverse dramatic forms, all-encompassing performance methods, profound musical materials, and performances that blend scenes and interact with audiences and performers. It was once widely spread in Anhui, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Hubei, Hunan, Sichuan, Shanxi, Fujian, Henan and other places. Mulian Opera is named after "Mulian Monk Saves His Mother". It is the oldest opera in China and can be called the ancestor of drama. Mulian Opera was first formed in the Northern Song Dynasty. Meng Yuanlao of the Southern Song Dynasty recorded in "Dongjing Menghualu": "The musicians in the composers' shops have been performing the "Mulian Saves His Mother" drama since the Qixi Festival, and the number of viewers has doubled." In the Ming Dynasty, there was Zheng Zhizhen's "Mulian Saves His Mother and Persuades Good Deeds". It entered the court during the reign of Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty, and the royal family also performed this drama. At that time, Zhang Zhao had the legend of "Persuading Good Deeds", which was mainly about Mulian's mother being wronged for doing evil and being thrown into hell, and asking Buddha to save her mother. Mulian Opera has been spread from Kaifeng to Nanle, Henan since the Song Dynasty. Nanle is located at the junction of Hebei, Shandong and Henan provinces. Due to the inconvenient transportation and remote location in ancient times, the opera has always retained its ancient primitive style. Its performance form and drama program all bear traces of traditional culture. Nanle Mulian Opera is an oral version popular among the people of Nanle County, Henan Province. In terms of its plot, ideological content and main characters, it is in the same vein as the Mulian Bianwen of the Tang Dynasty. The play is mainly based on folk acrobatics, integrating opera, martial arts, fireworks and magic. The costumes, props, makeup and performances are all unique. Because it is hidden among the people, it still retains its rough and primitive appearance. Mulian Opera is known as the "living fossil of Chinese drama". It has high academic research value for the study of the origin, evolution and development and inheritance of Chinese drama, and also provides precious materials for the study of Chinese historiography, literary history and folk culture.