Editing Little Pear Garden (section)

== History of the Name ==

The collective’s name is derived from Peking opera’s tradition of nomenclature. During the Tang dynasty in China, approximately 712 – 755 AD, Emperor Hsuan Tsung founded the Pear Garden Academy inside his royal court, thereby establishing China’s first professional music and dance performance troupe.

This important institution is considered to be the origin of Chinese opera. Subsequently, Chinese opera has been referred to as the “pear garden profession,” and opera performers may be referred to as the “children of the pear garden.” Thus, when William Lau founded the collective to promote Canadian appreciation of Chinese performing arts, he named it the Little Pear Garden Collective.