Source: Screencapture of Peking opera | An introduction (Hello China #13) © GBTimes Youtube
What is Peking Opera?
Peking Opera or you might know this as Beijing Opera, is one of the most popular forms of Chinese Opera. Most commonly known for its colorful and aesthetically pleasing performance, it highlights the Chinese, specifically focusing on Beijing, Tianjin, and Shanghai’s forms of art by incorporating music, vocal performance, art, mime, dance, and acrobatics into one performance. Becoming popularly known in the 19th century, more individuals became familiar with Chinese etiquette, and history, and also became aware of the need for the preservation of traditional Chinese culture.
Where, when, and why did Peking Opera originate?
Peking Opera originates from the 18th century in Beijing, China originally as entertainment for the higher classes. The form of opera arrived in Beijing during the Qing Dynasty of the Qianlong Emperor's eighteenth birthday. For the emperor’s birthday, four-opera troupes came from Anhui Province to perform in Beijing. From then on, their performances grew more popular and began to attract people in small villages and towns in China for centuries, eventually becoming available for public viewing.
Peking Opera depicts Chinese history, dating back even to the Ming Dynasty. Its goals were to display the history of China so that people do not forget China’s history, preserving not only their art and political history but also the values of being a great human under the perspective of Eastern values. It was first seen in America in 1852 but began to be seen more after the end of China’s imperial rule in 1912. After the end of imperial rule, Peking Opera became more popular during the 1920s, and later in the 20th century, began to be performed in Japan, America, and Europe.
Specifically highlighting America’s 1920s, six theaters opened across the United States in the span of three years and Peking Opera was performed.
China’s Cultural Revolution and its impact on Peking Opera
From 1966 to 1976, China’s Cultural Revolution, characterized by the violence in a social upheaval against Mao Zedong and other top party leaders for dominance of the Chinese Communist Party, prevented the performance of any earlier Chinese history as the Cultural Revolution promoted anti-culture (no old culture). The revolution prevented Peking Opera from being performed again up until 1978.
Peking Opera Types
Peking opera represents Chinese history and is classified into traditional plays, newly edited traditional plays, new (post-imperial) plays, and model plays (from the Cultural Revolution).
Most operas end happily and are classified as serious (emotional or patriotic conflicts) or light (romance and mischief).
Makeup & Costumes
There are four roles in Peking Opera: male, painted-face male, female, and clown, each distinguished by age, personality, costumes, and makeup.
Highlighting costumes in Peking Opera, the costumes are distinct and consistent across seasons and dynasties, revealing characters' identities and statuses.
"Mang Robe": A formal robe for emperors and generals. The robe is generally made of thick silk with python embroidery for men and phoenix patterns for women.
Colors vary by character: yellow for emperors, red for royalty relatives or officials, and light olive for elderly people.
“Palace Dress”: A daily attire for noblewomen. It is made up of ribbons, silk layers, and white sleeves.
“Official Robe”: A court robe that civil officers wear usually is worn with a jade belt.
Colors indicate rank: red for high-scoring exam passers or imperial sons-in-law, purple for higher ranks, blue for lower ranks, and black for lowest-ranking officials like city gatekeepers and prison managers.
Makeup in Peking opera is exaggerated as many faces are covered with a white base. The colors that are used after that have different meanings, some examples include red for loyalty and bravery, yellow for clever dishonesty. In Peking Opera, female roles (dan) include qingyi (young lady), wudan (woman warrior), and laodan (old woman). Jing and qingyi roles have elaborate headdresses and robes.
Makeup that includes pennants indicate martial roles, and long white sleeves, or "water sleeves," signifiying upper-status characters. Other roles like clown (chou) characters have a white patch in the middle of their face.
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