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PEKINOPERA


Pekin Opera - A must to see while you are in Beijing! Beijing Opera was born out of a wedding between two provincial opera styles from Anhui and Hubei during the Qing Dynasty (19th century). it also borrowed from other regional operas and Kunqu, a 500 year old Chinese musical theatre-style. Peking Opera combines stylized acting with singing, dancing, musical dialogue, martial arts, colorful facial make up and fantastic costumes.
Each role, according to their sex, age and disposition, is characterized by different designs of facial make-up, such as jing representing a rough, frank character and hua lian representing a cruel or sinister character. Facial make-up, costumes and head - dresses are wonderful works of traditional art. In the past, both dan (female roles ) and sheng (male roles ) were played by male actors, but nowadays they are played separately by females and males. Painted faces: there are more than 1000 different kinds of make-up patterns used in Beijing Opera. Colors symbolize character traits: red coveys bravery, loyalty; white signifies treachery; yellow suggest brutality, purple expresses wisdom etc. Gods and spirits are marked with gold and silver; bandits often have blue faces. Bian Lian - Face Changing is a speciality of Sichuan Opera, where actors swap masks with lightening speed - masters whisk through as many as 10 masks in 20 seconds. Most spectacular is the mask pulling routine. There are also some other types of operas staged in Beijing, such as Kunqu Opera, Pingju Opera and Hebei Bangzi as well as other operas from different places. Why go? For the same amount of time as a movie and about 20$/ person, a night at the Opera guarantees you a glimpse at China's past. Not to mention that this fascinanting mix of drama, color, movement and sound might be one of the most memorable of yout trip. You can catch an opera performance any night of the week in Beijing for Y50 - Y200. Shows begin around 7pm, with more options on weekends. You can buy your tickets online through: www.piao.com.cn . You can also register online and pay by credit card or call 6417-7845.

Written by Beijing Apartments Team, May 2008

BEIJING APARTMENTS: Beijing City Guide