Traditional Peking Opera

Chinese opera has a history dating some 2,000 years. There are 317 types of opera, of which Peking opera is the most important and popular.

The practitioner of Peking opera is a master athlete – he must be in top physical shape to accommodate the rigors of this performance art. Most performers begin their training from childhood. A well-known example is kung fu star Jacky Chan, who started training in  as a child.

Performers wear extensive makeup; their whole faces are painted in bright colors. Colorful masks, inspired from ancient ceremonies and religious symbols, are done by the actors. The color of each character's face is significant as it represents the character's personality and fate. Understanding the colors will greatly enhance your enjoyment of the opera as it is an intricate part of the story. Red faces represent righteousness; black denotes gallantry and heroism; blue and green signify brawn (not necessarily with brains!) or those held in high regard by commoners; yellow and white are negative colors, often meaning cunning or a tendency to be suspicious; gold denotes deities and silver is reserved for demons or bad spirits. The make-up style indicates if a character is good or evil.

Four roles of Peking Opera are Sheng, Dan, Jing and Chou.