The Mechanics of Peking Opera

Peking opera combines music, mime, martial arts and acrobatics. It arose in Beijing during the mid-Qing dynasty.

Performers use symbolic movements on a sparse stage. The repertoire includes over 1,400 works based on history and folklore.

Peking opera features four main role types. They are sheng, dan, jing, and chou.

Peking opera is generally regarded as having fully formed by then.

A reasonable way to spend a birthday.

Kangxi Emperor banned female performers in 1671; Qianlong repeated it in 1772. Women appeared unofficially in the 1870s.

During 1966–1976, traditional works were denounced as feudalistic. Only five Peking operas survived among eight model plays.

Modern troupes shorten works and use electronic subtitles. Channel CCTV-11 broadcasts classic productions.