This term refers to the final part of a drama. It contains a requirement as to how a dramatic or operatic performance should end; i.e., a natural and reasonable rather than stiff outcome of the characters and events in a play, making it possible for the audience to experience the pleasure of a complete plot with both calls and echoes, expansion and withdrawal, a start and an end, a cause and an effect, and a transformation from tension to relief and from expectation to satisfaction. In a word, a good conclusion should feature "a happy outcome for all" as Li Yu (1611-1680), the late Ming to early Qing drama theorist, said. This means not only the reunion of a family after a period of separation or the wedding of a loving couple, but also the completion of a play's circuitous structure. The final part of a play is the last step taken to close that circuit and reach a climax.

The final scene is the great finale of the entire drama. The challenge here is to avoid just thrusting odd clues together and attain the pleasure of a happy, natural ending. (Li Yu: Occasional Notes with Leisure Motions)