The dramas of the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) are called Yuan Zaju (yuán zá jù 元杂剧), poetic dramas set to music. As a mature, high-class theatrical form, the Yuan Zaju is full of the characteristics of that period, and displays unique artistic creations. Hence, they are regarded as the most notable achievement of Yuan literature. At the beginning, the Zaju centered on Dadu (dà dū 大都) (present-day Beijing) and spread widely over northern China. After the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279) fell to the Yuan Dynasty, the Zaju became a national drama. It quickly flourished, with a number of plays written, and the ranks of performers swelling.

Xiangqi (xiàng qí 象棋) is a two-player Chinese board game in the same family as Western chess. The present-day form of Xiangqi originated in China and is therefore commonly called Chinese chess in English. The first character 象 (xiàng 象) here has the meaning "image" or "representational", hence Xiangqi can be literally translated as "representational chess". The game is sometimes called "elephant chess" after an alternative meaning of 象 as "elephant". Besides China and areas with significant ethnic Chinese communities, Xiangqi is also a popular pastime in Vietnam (yue nan 越南). The game represents a battle between two armies, with the object of capturing the enemy's "general" (jiāng jūn 将军) piece.