Book tour button
Contact us button

Peking Opera Show – The Quintessence Of Chinese Culture

The Peking Opera is China's National Show

With Its Great Music, Singing And Costumes, The Peking Opera Is China's National Show. Full Of Chinese Cultural Facts, The Opera Presents The Audience With An Encyclopedia Of Chinese Culture, As Well As Unfolding Stories, Beautiful Paintings, Exquisite Costumes, Graceful Gestures And Martial Arts. Since Peking Opera Enjoys A Higher Reputation Than Other Local Operas, Almost Every Province In China Has More Than One Peking Opera Troupes. Opera Is So Popular Among Chinese People, Especially Seniors, That Even "Peking Opera Month" Has Been Declared.

 

Peking Opera Got A 200-Year-Long History,Which Was Believed That Peking Opera Gradually Came Into Being After 1790 When The Famous Four Anhui Opera Troupes Came To Beijing. Peking Opera Fast Development During The Reign Of Emperor Qianlong And The Empress Dowager Cixi Under The Imperial Patron, Eventually Becoming More Common To The Common People.

In Ancient Times,The Costumes Were A Garish Collection Of Sharply Contrasting Colors To Stand Out On The Dim Stage Illuminated Only By Oil Lamps. Peking Opera Is A Harmonious Combination Of The Grand Opera, Ballet And Acrobatics, Consisting Of Dance, Martial Arts And Mime.

The Peking Opera Band Mainly Consists Of An Orchestra And Percussion Band. The Former Frequently Accompanies Peaceful Scenes While The Latter Provides The Right Atmosphere For Battle Scenes. The Commonly Used Percussion Instruments Include Castanets, Drums, Bells And Cymbals. One Person Usually Plays The Castanets And Drum Simultaneously, Which Conduct The Entire Band. The Orchestral Instruments Include The Erhu, Huqin, Yueqin, Sheng (Reed Pipe), Pipa (Lute) And Other Instruments. The Band Usually Sits On The Left Side Of The Stage.

Peking Opera Is A Special Kind Of Makeup Method Han Cultural Characteristics Just Like Singing And Playing Music, So It Is Called "Facebook ." Peking Opera Art Is All Very Fond Of An Art, Which Has Been Considered One Of Signs Of Traditional Chinese Culture .

Main Roles In Peking Opera

Roles Fall Into Four Categories: Sheng, Dan, Jing And Chou. The Roles Have The Natural Features Of Age And Sex, As Well As Social Status, And Are Artificially Exaggerated By Makeup, Costume And Gestures.

Male Role Military1. Male Role (Sheng): Civil, Military; Lao Sheng (Old Man With A Beard: Dignified, Polished, Official, Scholar); Xiao Sheng (Young Man, Shrill Voice, Young Warrior, Young Man Of Society, Stature, Elaborate Dress), Wu Sheng (Acrobatic Male, Extremely Agile And Physically Skilled).

 

 

 

 

Female Role Dan Fan2. Female Role (Dan): Qing Yi (Modest, Virtuous), Hua Dan (Flirtatious, Playful), Gui Men Dan (Young, Married Girl), Dao Ma Dan (Strong Woman, Female General), Wu Dan (Female Acrobat), Lao Dan (Old Woman).

 

 

 

Painted Face Jing3. Painted Face Male (Jing): Spectators Are Usually Startled By The Appearance Of The Jing. His Facial Colors Symbolize The Type Of Character: Red = Good, White = Treacherous, Etc.

 

 

 

 

 

Opera Man in Costume4. Comedy Actor Or Clown (Chou): Dim-Witted, Amusing, Rascal, Occasionally Slightly Wicked.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Related Performing art

Chengdu Face Changing Fire Show

Chengdu Face Changing Show

Liusanjie Show Three Humans in Boat

Guilin Impression Liu Sanjie

Tang Dynasty Music and Show

Tang Dynasty Music And Dance Show