Peking opera of China is a national treasure with a
history of 200 years. In the 55th year of the reign of Emperor Qianlong of the
Qing Dynasty(1790) ,the four big Huiban opera Troupes entered the capital and
combined with Kunqu opera, Yiyang opera, Hanju opera and Luantan in Beijing's
thearetical circle of the time. Through a period of more than half a century of
combination and integration of various kinds of opera there evolved the present
Peking opera, the biggest kind of opera in China, whose richness of repertoire,
great number of artists of performance and of audiences, and profound influence
are incomparable in China.
Peking opera is a synthesis of stylized action, singing, dialogue and mime,
acrobatic fighting and dancing to represent a story or depict different
characters and their feelings of gladness, anger, sorrow, happiness, surprise,
fear and sadness. In Peking opera there are four main types of roles: sheng
(male) dan (young female), jing( painted face,male), and chou (clown, male or
female). The characters may be loyal or treacherous, beautiful or ugly, good or
bad, their images being vividly manifested.
The repertoire of Peking opera is mainly engaged in fairy tales of preceding
dynasties, important historical events, emperors, ministers and generals,
geniuses and great beauties, from the ancient times to Yao, Shun, Yu, the Spring
and Autumn Period, the Warring States Period and the dynasties of Qin, Han, Sui,
Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming, Qing.
Copyright: Robert Haxne