Peking Opera, known in Chinese as “Jingju,” is one of the most sophisticated and celebrated performing arts in the world. Combining music, vocal performance, mime, dance, and acrobatics into a single, seamless theatrical experience, Peking Opera has captivated audiences for over two centuries. For international tourists visiting China, attending a Peking Opera performance offers an unforgettable journey into the heart of Chinese artistic expression, where every gesture, costume, and musical note carries layers of symbolic meaning.
The Origins and History of Peking Opera
Peking Opera was born in the late 18th century during the reign of Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty. In 1790, four major Anhui opera troupes traveled to Beijing to perform for the emperor’s birthday celebrations. These troupes stayed in the capital and gradually merged with existing theatrical traditions from Hubei, Shaanxi, and other regions, creating a new, hybrid art form that drew on the best elements of each tradition. Over the following decades, Peking Opera absorbed influences from Kunqu opera, which was the dominant theatrical form at the time, as well as local folk music, acrobatic traditions, and martial arts. By the mid-19th century, Peking Opera had become the most popular form of entertainment in the capital and had begun to spread throughout the country. The late 19th and early 20th centuries are considered the golden age of Peking Opera, when legendary performers like the “Four Great Dans” (male actors specializing in female roles) elevated the art form to unprecedented heights. During the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976), traditional Peking Opera was suppressed and replaced with revolutionary model works, but the art form experienced a remarkable revival after the 1980s. Today, Peking Opera is recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity and continues to evolve while preserving its rich traditions.
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The Four Main Role Types
Peking Opera features four main role types, each with its own distinct conventions in costume, makeup, vocal style, and movement. Sheng are the male roles, further divided into several subtypes. Laosheng are dignified elderly men with beards, who sing in a natural, resonant voice. Xiaosheng are young, handsome male characters, often scholars or lovers, who sing in a higher, more delicate falsetto voice. Wusheng are military male characters who excel in acrobatics and martial arts, displaying incredible physical prowess. Dan are the female roles, traditionally performed by male actors. The most important dan subtypes include Qingyi, the virtuous and elegant woman dressed in blue or black costumes; Huadan, the lively and often mischievous young woman; Laodan, the elderly woman; and Wudan, the martial female warrior. The legendary Mei Lanfang was the most famous dan performer in history, renowned for his ability to portray female characters with extraordinary grace and sensitivity. Jing are the painted-face roles, usually powerful male characters such as generals, heroes, or villains. Their elaborate face paintings use specific colors and patterns to indicate the character’s personality and moral nature. Chou are the clown roles, characterized by a distinctive white patch of makeup on the nose. Chou characters can be either virtuous or villainous and provide comic relief while also serving as narrators or commentators on the action.
The Symbolic Language of Face Painting
One of the most visually striking features of Peking Opera is the elaborate face painting worn by Jing (painted-face) role types. This is not mere decoration but a sophisticated symbolic language that communicates a character’s personality, social status, and moral nature at a single glance. Red symbolizes loyalty, courage, and uprightness. The most famous red-faced character is Guan Yu, the revered general from the Three Kingdoms period, whose face is always painted red to represent his unwavering loyalty and bravery. Black represents fierceness, roughness, and impartiality. The black-faced Bao Zheng, a legendary Song Dynasty judge known for his incorruptibility and wisdom, is one of the most beloved characters in Peking Opera. White, especially when covering the entire face, indicates treachery, suspicion, and craftiness. The white-faced Cao Cao, a powerful and controversial figure from the Three Kingdoms, is the classic example of a treacherous character. Yellow represents ferocity, ambition, and intelligence. Blue indicates stubbornness and fearlessness. Green signifies violent and impulsive characters. Gold and silver are used for supernatural beings, gods, and demons. Purple represents upright and sophisticated characters. The patterns of the face painting are also significant: symmetrical patterns suggest stability and order, while asymmetrical patterns indicate a troubled or unbalanced character. For tourists, learning to “read” these face paintings adds a fascinating layer of understanding to the performance.
The Music and Instruments of Peking Opera
Peking Opera music is a rich tapestry of sounds that creates the emotional atmosphere of the performance. The orchestra, typically seated at the side of the stage, uses a combination of melodic and percussion instruments. The primary melodic instruments include the jinghu, a two-stringed bowed instrument with a bright, penetrating sound that leads the orchestra and accompanies the singers; the erhu, a larger, deeper-toned bowed instrument; and the yueqin, a round, plucked lute. The percussion section includes the ban and gu, a clapper and drum played by the conductor; the daluo, a large gong with a deep, resonant sound; the xiaoluo, a smaller gong with a higher pitch; and the naobo, or cymbals. The percussion instruments play a crucial role in Peking Opera, marking entrances and exits, accompanying combat scenes, and heightening dramatic moments. The rhythmic patterns of the percussion, known as “luogu jing,” are highly standardized and musicians must memorize hundreds of different patterns. The vocal music of Peking Opera is equally distinctive, using two main melodic systems: xipi and erhuang. Xipi melodies are generally bright, lively, and suited to joyful or exciting scenes, while erhuang melodies are more reflective, solemn, and melancholic. Singers must master complex techniques of voice production, including the use of falsetto, vibrato, and special decorative notes that add emotional depth to the performance.
Costumes and Props
Peking Opera costumes are extraordinarily elaborate and rich in symbolic meaning, providing visual information about each character’s status, personality, and circumstances. Imperial costumes feature dragon motifs and brilliant yellow or gold colors, signifying the emperor’s supreme authority. Civil officials wear robes with crane or other bird patterns, while military officers wear the distinctive “kao” or armor costume, with flags attached to the back that represent command flags on a battlefield. The number of flags indicates the character’s rank: four flags for a general, two for a lower-ranking officer. Scholars and educated characters wear simple, elegant robes in subdued colors. Female characters wear exquisitely embroidered costumes, with headdresses that can include phoenix crowns, pearl tiaras, and flowing silk ribbons. The long, flowing water sleeves (shuixiu) worn by many characters are used as expressive tools, with flicks, waves, and flourishes conveying emotions from joy to sorrow to anger. Props in Peking Opera are highly stylized and used symbolically. A whip with a horse’s tail represents riding a horse; an oar with painted waves represents a boat; a banner with cloud patterns represents wind or flying. The “ma bian” (horse whip) is one of the most common props, and skilled performers can convey whether they are riding slowly, galloping, or dismounting through their manipulation of this simple object. Even without elaborate stage sets, the power of suggestion and the skill of the performers create vivid worlds in the audience’s imagination.
Iconic Peking Opera Performances for Tourists
Several classic Peking Opera performances are particularly recommended for international tourists, as their stories and characters are relatively accessible to newcomers. “The Drunken Beauty” (Guifei Zui Jiu) tells the story of Yang Yuhuan, the beloved consort of Emperor Tang Minghuang, who drinks wine to drown her sorrow when the emperor fails to visit her. This performance showcases the extraordinary acting skills of the dan role, depicting the gradual stages of intoxication with remarkable subtlety and grace. “Farewell My Concubine” (Bawang Bie Ji) is one of the most famous and tragic stories in Peking Opera, depicting the final moments of the warrior king Xiang Yu and his devoted concubine Yu Ji during the Chu-Han Contention. The dramatic death scene is one of the most emotionally powerful moments in all of Chinese theater. “The Legend of the White Snake” (Baishe Zhuan) is a beloved romantic fantasy about a white snake spirit who takes human form and falls in love with a mortal man, blending romance, comedy, and spectacular combat scenes. “The Monkey King” (Da Nao Tiangong) features Sun Wukong, the mischievous and powerful monkey from the classic novel “Journey to the West,” and is a crowd-pleasing performance filled with acrobatics, martial arts, and comedy that delights audiences of all ages. “The Crossroads Inn” features one of the most famous combat scenes in Peking Opera, performed in complete darkness on stage, with the actors using their movements and the sounds of their weapons to create the illusion of a fierce fight in a pitch-black room.
Where to See Peking Opera in China
International tourists have many excellent options for experiencing Peking Opera throughout China. In Beijing, the Liyuan Theater and the Huguang Guild Hall offer nightly performances specifically designed for tourists, with English subtitles and program notes that explain the stories and conventions. The National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing presents high-quality Peking Opera performances in a world-class venue, often featuring the country’s most renowned performers. The Mei Lanfang Grand Theater, named after the legendary master, is dedicated exclusively to Peking Opera and offers an intimate and authentic experience. In Shanghai, the Shanghai Grand Theater and the Yifu Theater both feature regular Peking Opera performances. The Tianchan Yifu Theater is particularly atmospheric, preserving the traditional teahouse-style setting where audiences can sip tea during the performance. In Tianjin, the China Theater and the Tianjin Grand Theater offer excellent performances, as Tianjin has a strong Peking Opera tradition second only to Beijing’s. Many theaters offer backstage tours before performances, allowing tourists to watch performers apply their elaborate makeup and costumes, providing a fascinating behind-the-scenes glimpse into this remarkable art form.
Peking Opera is a treasure of Chinese culture that continues to captivate audiences with its extraordinary combination of music, drama, dance, and acrobatics. For international tourists, attending a performance is not merely entertainment but an immersion into an artistic tradition that embodies the Chinese aesthetic ideals of harmony, symbolism, and expressive power. The dazzling costumes, the haunting music, the incredible skill of the performers, and the timeless stories of love, loyalty, heroism, and tragedy combine to create an experience that will remain vivid in your memory long after the final gong has sounded.
