Peking Opera

Name: Jennifer Elendu

I.D Number: 15500230
 Peking Opera
History and Origin:
Peking Opera also known as Beijing Opera ()
Jngj, is a form of traditional Chinese theatre which
combines music, vocal performance, mime, dance, and
acrobatics. Peking Opera has a 200-year-long history. Its
main melodies originated from travelling troupes from
Xipi, Erhuang in Anhui and Hubei respectively. It was
developed by absorbing many other dramatic forms,
mostly from the local drama 'Huiban' which was popular
in South China during the 18th century. It is believed that
Peking Opera gradually came into being after 1790 when
the famous four Anhui opera troupes came to Beijing.
 Peking Opera
At the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the
20th century, after merging for 10 years, Beijing Opera
finally formed, and became the biggest of all operas in
China.
The form was extremely popular in the Qing dynasty
court. It underwent fast development during the reign of
Emperor Qianlong and the notorious Empress Dowager
Cixi under the imperial patron, eventually becoming
more accessible to the common people.In ancient times,
Peking Opera was performed mostly on stage in the
open air, teahouses or temple courtyards.Since the
orchestra played loudly, the performers developed a
piercing style of song that could be heard by everyone.
 Peking Opera
The costumes were a garish collection of sharply
contrasting colors to stand out on the dim stage
illuminated only by oil lamps.
It is one of the most influential Han operas in China, and
the quintessence of Chinese culture. Today, major
performance troupes are based in Beijing and Tianjin in
the north, and Shanghai in the south.The art form is also
preserved in Taiwan, where it is known as Guoju ()
Guj. It has also spread to other countries such as the
United States and Japan.
It was listed into Unesco Intangible Cultural Heritage of
Humanity List in 2010.
 Peking Opera
Peking Opera characters:
Shng (): This is the major male role in the opera.
There are three types of shng:
LoshngThey wear sensible clothing, a beard and
have a gentle and cultivated manner. They are usually
scholars, officials and advisors.There are also types of
laosheng roles, for example the hongsheng, a red-faced
older male. The only two hongsheng roles are Guan
Gong, the Chinese god of war ( A hero in the novel The
Romance of Three Kingdoms), and Zhao Kuang-Yin, the
first Song Dynasty emperor.
 Peking Opera
Xioshng: They are usually lovers and young scholars.
They can be identified with their high shrill voice which
occasionally breaks when they are singing, to represent
the voice changing period of adolescence.The
Xioshng is usually small and slight of stature, and his
clothes are often quite elaborate if he is a young man of
society or a young warrior is being represented, but can
be subdued if they are those of an impoverished scholar.
The young warrior can often be distinguished by his long
pheasant feathers which rise in sweeping curves from
his hat. No beard is worn for this part.
 Peking Opera
Wshng: They are usually warriors, and heroes or
acrobats, although they sometimes have a part which
requires much acting. They play any part in military or
civil plays which requires a high standard of acrobats.
The skill of these actors is demonstrated in the fighting
scenes, which take on a stylized form in Beijing opera,
and also in scenes from legendary stories when
immortals and devils tumble and twist about the stage
showing off feats of skill. His costume is often bright in
color, especially in the legendary plays. They have a
natural voice when singing.
 Peking Opera
Dn (): This is the major female role in the opera.
These roles were often played by men until the
communist era. There are six types of dn:
Lodn: Lao Dan is simply an old woman, but this part
requires great skill.The Lao Dan actress cleverly portrays
in her bent back and faltering but dignified movements
her character's advancing years. She is often seen
carrying a staff. Lao Dan wears no make-up and her
costume is more subdued in color and design. Her voice
tends to be slightly deeper, because the natural voice is
used, not the forced high-pitched one used on other dn
roles.
 Peking Opera
Qngy: They are virtuous and elite women who portray
good and sympathetic characters.They are usually of a
quiet, gentle disposition and graceful in their movements.
They are the Chinese ideal of a beautiful woman. As a
wife she is faithful, as a young girl a model of propriety.
Her good breeding is shown by the graceful, flowing
movements of her 'water sleeves'. The Qngy's costume
is elegant, simple and of good quality.Her singing is of a
pure, high-pitched quality. A Gui Men Dan is the young,
unmarried girl, who in later life will develop into a Qing Yi
or a Hua Da.
 Peking Opera
Domdn: They are usually young female warriors. She
is trained mainly for acting and singing and performs
many skilful movements especially with the pheasant
feathers in her head-dress and her military weapons.
She still retains feminine charm, however, and a very
versatile actress is required for this role. Her parts are
that of the heroines in Chinese history who were famed
for their military prowess. A Daomadan's clothes can be
very elaborate, as she wears the four pennants strapped
to her back and the Kao.
 Peking Opera
Wdn: They are usually female warriors or acrobats.
Wu Dan actress steps into or takes any female role that
requires a high degree of acrobatics. She is purely an
acrobat but her role demands a talented actress for a
successful performance.
 Peking Opera
Hudn: They are usually vivacious and unmarried
women. She has the gay and flirtatious personality of a.
Usually not of such a high social standing as the Qingyi,
and Huadan actress but with her coy, coquettish and
generally quicker movements she arrests the attention of
the audience. This is a difficult part to play successfully.
The Huadan's facial expression is continually changing
and her mischievous eye movements are particularly
attractive. Because of her lower social status more hand
movements are required, as in olden times it was not
considered polite for a well-bred Chinese lady to show
her hands. Her costume, usually vivid in design and
color. Her singing voice has a gayer and slightly stronger
quality. She also has to do more speaking than singing.
 Peking Opera
Hushn: This is the sixth role type. It was pioneered by
Mei Lanfang; a famous Peking Opera performer. This
role type combines the status of the Qingyi with the
sensuality of the Huadan. this role stresses on both
acting and singing.
 Peking Opera
Jng (): This part is noted for courage and
resourcefulness than for scholarly intelligence. Often
playing the part of a high-ranking army general, the Jing
actor can also be seen as a warrior or official . His
robust, gruff, bass voice and grotesquely painted face
together with his swaggering self-assertive manner all
combine to make him the most forceful personality in
most scenes in which he appears. Jing actors are
usually extroverts.
They dress according to a general rule:
- Red represents good
- White represents treacherous
- Blue represents wildness
- Black represents brusqueness
 Peking Opera
A Jing must have a strong voice and be able to
exaggerate gestures. Peking opera boasts of 15 basic
facial patterns, but there are over 1000 specific
variations. Each design is unique to a specific character.
The patterns and coloring are thought to be derived from
traditional Chinese color symbolism and divination on the
lines of a person's face, which is said to reveal
personality.The Jing can be divided into three types:
Hitu: This role is good at singing and usually a loyal
general. His make-up is largely in black. An example is
the role of Bao, the greatest judge in Chinese fiction and
drama.
 Peking Opera
Jizi: A good actor, and a generally more complicated
character as a result, his roles places less emphasis on
singing and more on physical performance.
WjngThis role is proficient in martial and acrobatic
roles and seldom plays a very prominent role.
 Peking Opera
Chu (): The Chou is male clown role. He plays the
role of a dim but likeable and amusing character with
blinking eyes and all the appropriate gestures. Studies of
Peking opera classify the Chou as a minor role. They are
usually of lower status and are the only characters that
use slang and improvised speeches. The Chou has a
vocal timbre that is distinct from other characters, as the
character will often speak in the common Beijing dialect,
as opposed to the more formal dialects of other
characters.The name of the role is a homophone of the
Mandarin Chinese word chou, meaning "ugly". This
reflects the traditional belief that the clown's combination
of ugliness and laughter could drive away evil spirits.
 Peking Opera
Sometimes the Chou can be a rascal, with a slightly
wicked nature. Alternatively a scholar or prince; an
eccentric or representing the sort of scholar or prince
who would not command much respect.
Their costumes range from simple for characters of lower
status to elaborate, perhaps overly so, for high status
characters. Chou characters wear special face paint,
called xiaohualian, that differs from that of Jing
characters. The defining characteristic of this type of
face paint is a small patch of white chalk around the
nose.
 Peking Opera
A famous example is the Monkey King who has a special
place in the hearts of all who are interested in Chinese
opera. Played by an exceptionally talented Wu Sheng
actor, the Monkey King holds every minute of the
audience's attention with the quick, agile movements of
his lithe body, and his blinking eyes.
Beneath the whimsical persona of the Chou, a serious
connection to the form of Peking opera exists. The Chou
is the character most connected to theguban, the drums
and clapper commonly used for musically
accompaniment during performances. Chou roles can
be divided into two forms. They are:
 Peking Opera
Wnchu: Usually plays the role of a civilian, such as a
jailer, servant, merchant or scholar.
Wchu: Usually plays minor military roles such as the
role of a soldier and must be skilled in acrobatics. The
Wu Chou is one of the most demanding in Peking opera,
because of its combination of comic acting, acrobatics,
and a strong voice.
Peking Opera

Loshng

Xiosheng
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Wsheng

Lodn
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Qngy

Domdn
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Gumndn

Wdn
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Hudn

Hushn
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Hitu

Jizi
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Wjng

Wnchu
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Wchu
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Costumes:
Peking Opera costumes are called Xngtou () or,
more popularly, Xifu () in Chinese. The origins of
Peking Opera costumes can be traced back to the mid-
14th century when operatic precursors first began to
experiment with large, ornate articles of clothing. Since
each dynasty in Chinese history had its own unique
operatic costume, the number of costumes was too great
for performers to master. Hence, artists and costume
designers worked together to create costumes that would
be unwieldy on stage and acceptable no matter when or
where the action was supposed to take place.
 Peking Opera
In Peking opera, costumes take on added importance
due to scarcity of props. Costumes distinguish the rank
of each character being played. The robe worn by the
classes is called a mng (), or python robe. It often
features brilliant colors and rich embroidery, but there
are differences between these costumes and this is
shown by the design of the dragon. There is a dragon,
opening its mouth on the mng for the emperor, while
the dragon on the mng for the ministers and generals
has its mouth closed. The dragons on the costume of the
civil officials are gentle and quiet, while the ones on the
costume of the martial officials are bold and mighty.
 Peking Opera
The colors of all costumes are important. For example,
the emperor is usually the only person to wear yellow,
and on his Mang-pao the embroidered dragons always
fly upwards. If any other officials wear the yellow, their
dragons must fly downwards. The other colors of the
robes are red, green, orange, white, black, and blue.
Each color represents a different rank. Red denotes
faithful army commanders, green is for generals and
statesmen, orange for older statesmen, white for young
generals and ministers, blue for dishonest statesmen,
and black for the brave, honest, and upright (but in some
situations black can mean poverty).
 Peking Opera
The importance of the colors comes from older times
when dye was a commodity and only the nobility were
allowed to wear the primary colors while the common
citizens had to wear blended colors. Each color is tied to
the five elements (water, earth, fire, wood, and metal),
which are also linked to the five directions (the Chinese
compass includes center). Red is the south (fire), black
is the north (water), white is the west (metal), blue and
green are east (wood), and yellow is the center (earth).
Because of these ties to the elements and directions, the
different personality types associated with each color
were created.
 Peking Opera
On formal occasions, the nobility wear the Mang-pao robe. This
costume is for emperors and important officials, lower officials may
wear the kuanyi, a simple gown with patches of embroidery on both
the front and back. All other characters, and officials on informal
occasions, wear the chezi, a basic gown with varying levels of
embroidery and no jade girdle to denote rank. All three types of
gowns have water sleeves, long flowing sleeves that can be flicked
and waved like water, attached to facilitate emotive gestures.
Women and peasant warriors wear pants, with short jackets that are
tied at the waist.
Another robe for nobility is the tieh-ts, which is the everyday garb of
the higher officials. It is usually made of silk or satin and buttoned to
one side.
 Peking Opera
Opera shoes: A wide variety of shoes and boots are used
in opera performance, mainly platform boots (houdixue),
tiger-headed boots (hutouxue), thin-soled combat
footwear made of black satin (kuaixue), fish-head
pugilist's shoes, laced boxer's shoes, etc.

Headdress: Designated by the general term Toukui,

opera headdress comprises such items as crown,
helmet, hat and scarf. Crowns are for the emperor and
nobles; military people wear marshals, helmets; ordinary
folks wear soft scarves or straw hats. Some headgear,
such as crowns, are rigid, while others are soft.
 Peking Opera
Beards:The beards shown in the Peking Opera signify
wealth and temperament. The beards are tied on wire
and strung from the actors ears. The string sits on the
actors upper lip, making it hard to talk, so it takes great
skill for one to master performing with it on. A long beard
indicates wealth and power, and narrow whiskers mean
learned men, while short thick beard covering most of a
lovers face symbolizes being rough and selfish.

Masks and make-up: The need for makeup masks

began in the earlier time periods when plays could only
be seen by natural daylight or candlelight. Because of
the lighting, it became necessary for the actors faces to
stand out in order for the audience to be able to
understand the character they were watching.
 Peking Opera
These masks (called kou-lien or mo-lien) are painted on
the actors face before the show and are an intricate,
direct representation of the characters motivation and
inner feelings. They may also have eyebrows and
mouths painted on to give extra expression to their
characters.

Masks may also be in the image of an animal (such as a

monkey), or symbolize deities (clouds represent the god
of clouds). Usually the face paint is mixed with egg
whites or oil to give an awake look to the characters.
The only case where this method is not used is in the
case of evil characters whose faces are pale. Although
people with white faces may be seen as evil, a grey
ashen face without expression depicts true malevolence.
 Peking Opera
In the Peking Opera, women and heroes are the only
characters allowed to be without a mask. Womens
makeup is usually simple: peony petals are added to the
makeup to give the best for oval faced women since a
narrow oval face is the ideal shape in China.
Like all other aspects of the opera, color is extremely
important to the understanding of the character. As
humans are multi-faceted creatures, a character may
have many colors painted on their face, and each color
is another aspect of their personality. There are many
templates or patterns of how the masks should be
applied, one of the oldest being the san-kuai-wa where
the face is broken into three parts, the two sides of the
face and brows.
 Peking Opera
Changing Faces: The frequent on-stage changing of
masks or facial makeup without the audience noticing. It
is a special technique used to exaggerate inner feelings
of characters, portray their dispositions, set off the
atmosphere and improve effects. Facial changes
expressing sudden changes in a character's feelings are
done in four ways:
Blowing dust: The actor blows black dust hidden in his
palm or close to his eyes, nose or beard, so that it blows
back into his face.

Manipulating beard: Beard colors can be changed while

the beard is being manipulated -- from black to gray and
finally to white -- expressing anger or excitement.
 Peking Opera
Pulling-down masks: The actor can pull down a mask
that has previously been hidden on top of his head,
leaving his face red, green, blue or black to
communicate happiness, hate, anger or sadness
respectively.

Mop: The actor mops out the greasepaint hidden in his

sideburns or eyebrows, around his eyes and nose, to
change his facial appearance.
 Peking Opera
Rules of Costume Tradition:
(1) Anachronisms are allowable. A performer's costume
primarily designates his or her role on the stage no
matter when or where the action takes place.
Characters, whether they are from ancient times or in
pre-modern China, appear on the Chinese opera stage
wearing costumes suitable to their roles.

(2) Regardless of which season is being depicted in

performance, the opera costume is the same. Weather is
described in every scene and must be made clear by the
actor's movements, rather than his clothing.
 Peking Opera
(3) Peking Opera costumes must enable the audience to
distinguish a character's sex and status at first glance. In
terms of symbolism, Peking Opera costumes have its
social hierarchy -- noble or humble, civilian or military,
official or private citizens.

(4) By means of a subtle difference, opera costumes often

give expression to sharp distinctions between good and
evil or, preferably, loyal and wicked characters. Oblong
Wings (chizi) attached to a gauze hat indicate a loyal
official. In contrast, a corrupt official is made to wear a
gauze hat with rhomboidal wings.
 Peking Opera
(5) Baldrics, though apparently of little or no account as
compared with such principal items as crowns and
robes, may nevertheless function to bring about more
dramatic effects on the stage. For instance, the wings
attached to a hat, the plumes (lingzi) pinned to a helmet
and the cascading sleeves (shuixiu) sewn to a garment
accentuate movement even if they have little practical
use.
Peking Opera

Mang-pao robe
Peking Opera

Jade girdle
 Peking Opera
Stage settings:
In the past, stages in most Chinese theaters were square
platforms exposed to the audience on three, sometimes
four, sides. In the case of a fully exposed stage,
performances could be watched from the back as well as
sides and front. An embroidered curtain known as a
shoujiu was hung above the platform, dividing into two
parts: the back stage and the stage.
In front of the curtain was placed a table on which were laid
various musical instruments to be used during the
performance. Musicians were seated nearby. That table,
together with musicians, occupied a part of the facade of
the stage and could be seen by the audience. For this
reason, Beijing Opera orchestras have traditionally been
known as changmian, which means stage set-up.
 Peking Opera
In Peking Opera, audiences are given great room for
imagination; the props traditionally included only "a table
and two chairs". In modern plays, a painted stage-curtain
is often set in the back picturing the location where the
scene takes place. While performing, actors and
actresses use many different tools and objects, such as
whips, trays, weapons, boxes and others. According to
their position on the stage and the way the performer
interacts with them, these objects can represent a variety
of concrete things and abstract concepts. They are highly
symbolic and the participation of the audience is always
required in order to understand their function in different
situations.
 Peking Opera
Means of Artistic Presentation:
Beijing Opera presents dramatic plays and figures
mainly by infusing four artistic methods:
Singing: Utilized to intensify the appeal of the art by all
kinds of tones. Goes hand in hand with the opera band
which consists of an orchestra and percussion band. The
former frequently accompanies peaceful scenes while
the latter provides the right atmosphere for battle
scenes.
There are six main types of song lyrics in Peking opera:
emotive, condemnatory, narrative, descriptive, disputive,
and "shared space separate sensations" lyrics. Each
type uses the same basic lyrical structure, differing only
in kind and degree of emotions portrayed.

Dialogue: It is the complement of singing which is full of

musical and rhythm sensation.
 Peking Opera
Dancing: This refers to the body movements performed
by the actors. It usually requires high performing skills.

Martial art: Martial art is the combination and

transformation of traditional Chinese combat exercises
with dances.
Peking Opera

Xu Xian, the humble scholar

who falls in love with the
legendary White Snake, wears
a zhezi.
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Xiao Qiao, the devoted

wife of general Zhou Yu
, loyal to the rulers of
Wu Kingdom, wears a
pei.
Peking Opera

Sun Shangxiang, the

deft and deadly woman
warrior, sister of
Emperor Da of Wu
Kingdom wears a kao.
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Cao Cao, the

treacherous warlord
of the Three Kingdom
period wears a mang.
Peking Opera
Famous Peking Opera
Houses:
Beijing Opera Theater

Milnfng Theater
Peking Opera
Famous Peking Opera
Houses:
Liyun Theater

Chng'n Grand
Theater
 Peking Opera
Famous Peking Opera Performers:
Mei Lanfang: He was born in the late Qing Dynasty in 1894
and was a native of Jiangsu province.
His grandfather Mei Qiaoling was a famous female roles
actor in the late Qing Dynasty. His father, Mingrui, played
Xiaosheng roles, and later changed to Dan roles. His
mother, Changyu, was the eldest daughter of Yang
Longshou, a famous Sheng role actor.
He started to learn opera when he was 8 years old, and had
Zhu Xiaoxia, a well-known Xiaosheng actor, as his master.
 Peking Opera
Mei Lanfang first performed on stage when he 11 years
old. His stage name was Lanfang. A name he began to
use after he turned 16.
His singing, voice overs, dance, music and makeup, finally
created his own unique style called Mei Pai, and a
school of this name. He became the best of the four
famous Dan actors. I
Mei Lanfang achieved great success on the stage, and
attracted the attention by Westerners. He was invited
many times to perform in Japan, the United States, and
the Soviet Union. He got a doctorate in literature from
the University of Southern California.
Mei Lanfang was good at playing Dan roles. He played the
woman role "Qingyi.
 Peking Opera
Tan Xinpei: He was born in 1847 in the Qing Dynasty. He
mainly played Laosheng roles. When he was 10 years old, he
began to learn opera. After many years hard work and
practice, he got his chance to put on his first show in 1863.
Tan Xinpei created a large number of artistic images in his life.
He carefully observed characters' identity and temperament,
so that each play closely resembled the original.
He not only paid attention to appearance, but also created
unique features in singing and performing when shaping the
character. He opened a new world of opera performce for
Laosheng roles.
His way of performing became popular, and after more than
half a century many Laosheng actors imitated him. The
"Tanpai style and school takes after his name.
 Peking Opera
Ma Lianliang: He was born in the late Qing Dynasty in
Beijing, on February 28, 1901. He is also well known for
playing Laosheng.
He grew up in an opera actors family, so, deeply influenced by
his family, he studied in Xiliancheng Opera School when he
was 9 years old.
After 14 years of study he taught his first class, and finally
developed a unique performing school, known as Ma
School. His performances reached their peak period
between the 1920s and the 1960s.
The singing style of Ma Lianliang is based on the style of Tan
Xinpei, and combined with his own features, he broke out of
the traditional way of singing, and developed his own style. It
was quite different to other Laosheng actors. His unique style
of singing created a new era in Beijing opera, and became
popular among the locals.
 Peking Opera
Zhou Xinfang: Zhou Xinfang was grew up in an artists
family, and is counted as one of the greatest artists of
Beijing opera. He played Laosheng roles and created a
new style called Qi Pai, the name taken from his stage
name Qi Lin (the unicorn boy, or seven-year-old boy).
The majority of audiences loved this new style for his
special husky singing voice. He first performed on the
stage at 7 years old, and played a leading role when he
was 13 years old. He performed with Mei Lanfang.
Zhou Xinfang was reputed for his consummate skills.
Although he was not born with a good voice, he still
became good at singing, his voice loud and broad, husky
but not hoarse, with vigorous bass notes. He particularly
paid attention to express the characters emotions.
 Peking Opera
Shang Xiaoyun: Shang Xiaoyun was a famous Beijing
Opera artist and a great scholar. He was born in 1899, a
native of Hebei province, formerly known as Quande.
He was descended from the South King in the Qing
Dynasty.
He studied Beijing opera with Li Chunfu as his master,
and played Laosheng , but later changed to playing
Qingyi roles .
He put on his first performance in Beijing, and got
praised for his Qingyi roles. He enriched his performing
style, while creaing and exploring the world of opera art.
He finally developed his own school called "Shang
Paian", important moment in Beijing opera history.
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Yan Jupeng: Yan Jupeng was a renowned Laosheng
and the founder of the Yan School. He was a famous
Beijing Opera amateur before he became a professional
opera actor.
He studied from the master Tan Xinpei and developed
his own singing style, which emphasized tones. His
singing was mild and smooth. His popular plays are
"Mourning Zhou Yu" and "Giving Xu Zhou". His son Yan
Shaopeng, daughter-in-law Yan Xingpeng, learned from
his style of performing.
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Xun Huisheng: As one of the four famous female role
players in China, Xun Huisheng got a reputation for his
lively performances of Dan roles, He created his own
school named Xun School. His performing style
focused on the great combination of life and art, with
consistent facial expressions and gestures. He made a
significant contribution to Beijing opera
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Cheng Yanqiu: Cheng Yanqiu is one of the four famous
Dan actors in China, and founder of the Cheng School.
From 1925 to 1938, Chen was in the golden age of his
career. He was a playwright, performer, and director, and
was praised as a strong artist.
His works featured creativity, emphasis on singing
phonology, four tones pronunciation, and the mild and
indirect singing style of his unique voice. Cheng Yanqiu
demonstrated a complete style, including expression of
the eyes, gestures, footsteps, and finger movements,
with a series of unique characteristics. His famous plays
include Unicorn-Trapping Purse".
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