Tian Han's Four Stays in Guilin

Tian Han (1898–1968), born in Changsha, Hunan Province, was one of the founders of modern Chinese drama. During the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, Tian Han visited Guilin four times to vigorously publicize China's resistance efforts through operas.

In April 1939, Tian Han visited Guilin for the first time where he stayed five months. During the short stay, he programmed such operas as The Song of Patriotic Fishermen and New Story of Heroic Sons and Daughters which were presented on stage to support the War of Resistance. His operas were novel and inspiring.

In the spring of 1940, Tian Han visited Guilin for the second time. This time, he just stayed for a short time. In the autumn of the same year, he went to Chongqing by way of Guilin, marking his third visit to Guilin. During his stay, Tian Han and Ouyang Yuqian watched Peach Blossom Fan and discussed the reform of the Gui Opera; he joined Xia Yan, Ouyang Yuqian, Du Xuan, Xu Zhiqiao, and others to create the journal Operas. As the editor-in-chief, he introduced the theory and scripts of operas about the War of Resistance and communicated opera work.

After the South Anhui Incident, the cultural movement in Guilin was at a low ebb. In order to establish the New China Troupe, Tian Han determinedly migrated from Nanyue to Guilin with his mother and youngest daughter in August 1941 to practically support the operas about the War of Resistance. It was his fourth visit to Guilin. He left Guilin until the September 1944 evacuation before Japanese invasion of Guilin. During that period, he directed Spring Returns to the Earth, created the drama Ode to the Autumn Sound,  and wrote — with Xia Yan and Hong Shen — the four-chapter drama The Long Voyage Home  which reveals people's patriotic enthusiasm and the evil deeds of the rich and powerful. In addition, Tian Han created two scripts — namely Golden Land and Youth of China  — and the street performance Roar, Lijiang River!,  and historical dramas such as Loyalty Redoubled, Yue Fei, and Gold Bowl.

田汉4次到桂林

田汉（1898—1968），湖南长沙人，中国现代戏剧的奠基人之一。抗战期间，田汉曾经4次来到桂林，通过戏剧宣传大力支持抗战。

1939年4月，田汉第一次到桂林，工作生活了5个月。短短时间内，“把舞台当做炮台，把剧场当做战场”，新编排演了《江汉渔歌》《新儿女英雄传》等，演出内容新颖，鼓舞民心士气。

1940年春，田汉第二次来到桂林，短暂逗留。1940年秋，田汉前往重庆时借道桂林，第三次停留桂林。期间，田汉与欧阳予倩观看《桃花扇》，探讨桂剧改革；同夏衍、欧阳予倩、杜宣、许之乔等一道筹办《戏剧春秋》，担任主编，大力介绍抗战戏剧理论、提供抗战戏剧剧本、交流戏剧工作。

皖南事变后的桂林文化运动一度处于低潮。为创建新中国剧社，1941年8月，田汉毅然带上老母和幼女，从南岳移居桂林，以实际行动支持抗战戏剧活动的开展。第四次桂林之行，直到1944年9月，日军入侵桂林前夕大撤退时才离开。这期间，田汉导演《大地回春》，创作话剧《秋声赋》，和夏衍、洪深合作写出反映人民爱国热情、暴露豪门罪恶行径的四幕话剧《风雨归舟》，田汉还写了《黄金地带》《少年中国》两部剧本，以及活报剧《怒吼吧，漓江！》，历史剧《双忠记》《岳飞》《金钵记》等。