"Chinese Peking Opera" postcard

Author: Liu Lisheng
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-05-01
Features: Peking Opera, which originated in Beijing, the capital of China two hundred years ago, is a genre that combines the essence of various other opera forms. It has adopted diverse artistic elements, embracing both innovation and tradition, to form a unique performance style. It possesses a complete performance art system and is China's largest and most representative opera genre. The characteristics of Peking Opera art revolve around performance, integrating singing, speech, action, combat, music, and artistry into a cohesive whole. Its themes are extensive, with a rich repertoire. The content primarily focuses on depicting ancient Chinese stories. Characters in the opera are categorized into four major roles based on gender, age, status, and personality: "Sheng, Dan, Jing, and Chou."
Sheng: Male characters, such as laosheng (elderly men), xiaosheng (young men), and wusheng (martial arts men).
Dan: Female characters, such as qingyi (dramatic heroines), huadan (flower roles), wudan (martial heroines), and laodan (elderly heroines).
Jing: Male characters with painted patterns on their faces, such as tongchui huafen (copper-hammer painted faces) and jiazi huafen (framework painted faces).
Chou: Characters known for their humorous language and comical actions, such as wenchou (literary clowns), wuchou (martial clowns), and caidan (colorful clownesses).
The artistic techniques of Peking Opera are vibrant and diverse. The splendid headgear, antique costumes, and colorful, exaggerated facial makeup all provide a feast for the eyes.