Beijing opera or Peking opera is a form of traditional Chinese theatre which combines music, vocal performance, mime, dance and acrobatics. It is also a kind of Chinese opera which arose in the mid-19th century and was extremely popular in the Qing Dynasty court. Beijing opera is widely regarded as one of the cultural treasures of China .Although it is called Beijing opera, its origins are in the Chinese provinces of Anhui and Hubei.
Main Roles of Beijing Opera
1) Sheng
The Sheng is the main male role in Beijing opera. This role has numerous subtypes. The laosheng is a dignified older role. One type of laosheng role is the hongsheng, a red-faced older male. Young male characters are known as xiaosheng. Depending on the character's rank in society, the costume of the xiaosheng may be either elaborate or simple. The wusheng is a martial character for roles involving combat. They are highly trained in acrobatics, and have a natural voice when singing.
2) Dan
The Dan refers to any female role in Beijing opera. Dan roles were originally divided into five subtypes. Old women were played by laodan, martial women were wudan, young female warriors were daomadan, virtuous and elite women were qingyi, and vivacious and unmarried women were huadan. One of Mei Lanfang's most important contributions to Beijing opera was in pioneering a sixth type of role, the huashan. This role type combines the status of the qingyi with the sensuality of the huadan. A troupe will have a young Dan to play main roles, as well as an older Dan for secondary parts.
3) Jing
The Jing is a painted face male role. Depending on the repertoire of the particular troupe, he will play either primary or secondary roles. This type of role will entail a forceful character, so a Jing must have a strong voice and be able to exaggerate gestures. Easily recognizable examples of coloring include red, which denotes uprightness and loyalty, white, which represents evil or crafty characters, and black, which is given to characters of soundness and integrity.
4) Chou
The Chou is a male clown role. The Chou usually plays secondary roles in a troupe. Indeed, most studies of Beijing opera classify the Chou as a minor role. The name of the role is a homophone of the Mandarin Chinese word chou, meaning "ugly". This reflects the traditional belief that the clown's combination of ugliness and laughter could drive away evil spirits. Chou roles can be divided into Wen Chou, civilian roles such as merchants and jailers, and Wu Chou, minor military roles. The Wu Chou is one of the most demanding in Beijing opera, because of its combination of comic acting, acrobatics, and a strong voice. The defining characteristic of this type of face paint is a small patch of white chalk around the nose. This can represent either a mean and secretive nature or a quick wit.
