Beijing Top 10 Night Shows, China

1 Peking Opera @ Liyuan Theater

Venue: Liyuan Theater 梨园剧场
Address: 1/F Qianmen Hotel, 175 Yongan Road, Hufangqiao
Show time: 19:30-20:50 daily
Phone: 86-10-63016688
Ticket Price: RMB 180-680

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Peking opera was extremely popular in the Qing Dynasty court and has come to be regarded as one of the cultural treasures of China. Li Yuan Theatre is more popular with tourists than with serious Chinese opera lovers. Here you will see Peking opera with English subtitles, Chinese acrobatics and some colorful dance performances. Try on a few opera costumes and put on some makeup to have yourself photographed as an opera artist.

2 The Legend of Kung Fu

Venue: Red Theater 红剧场
Add: Workers' Cultural Palace, 44 Xingfu Dajie, Chongwen District
Booking: 010-67103671/72/73
Show time: 19:30-20:30 daily
Ticket price: RMB 180-680

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This wonderful mix of dance and Kung Fu arts would be a stunning experience for your China tour. The show focuses on a young boy found wandering outside an ancient temple in China, who dreams of becoming a Kung Fu master. As with all stories, things don't go exactly according to plan. 

3 New Peking Opera: The Forbidden Love

Venue: Minorities Cultural Palace Theater 民族文化宫
49 Fuxingmen Neidajie, Xidan/Financial Street 复兴门内大街49号
Show time: 7:30 pm - 9:15 pm daily
Booking line: 86-10-66088077
Price: RMB 180, 280, 380, 480, 580

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With innovative stage design, top of the line lighting and video equipment as well as fresh, modern choreography of acrobats and martial arts, this classic Peking Opera gets a make-over. The plot is essentially an adaptation of the Song dynasty folktale from Chinese mythology "Madame White Snake."

4 Folk Art Performances

Venue: Laoshe Teahouse 老舍茶馆
Add: 3 Qianmen Xidajie, Tian'anmen前门西大街3号
Tel: 86-10-63036830 63021717
Show time 19:50-21:20 daily
Price: RMB 180-380; some 310 seats. Reservation recommended in peak season.
http://www.laosheteahouse.com/

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This nightly entertainment features a mix of traditional acrobatics, classic Beijing cross talk and Peking opera. You, and a room full of tourists, will be served by staff clad in traditional long gowns as you sip big bowls of tea and nibble on Beijing-style snacks. Photos of global leaders who have visited make this teahouse unique.

5 Beijing Night Show

Venue: No.1 Dayabao Hutong 北京之夜文化城
Show time: 19:30 daily
Price: RMB 280,320,380,480,680
Tel: 010-8008101282 65272814

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A big-budget dance opera showing every evening at Beijing Night Show. Charming girls and masked warriors in the mysterious Yan Palace, heroic soldiers with burning war flames at the magnificent Great Wall, Kublai Khan bending his bow to break down the door of Beijing and overwhelming his dynasty with Tibetan Buddhism. The 90-minute dinner show will take you on a trek through time and space to discover the ancient and modern capital of Beijing.

6 Acrobatics show @ Tiandi Theater

Venue: Tiandi Theater 天地剧场
Add: No.10 Dongzhimen Nanjie
Show time: 17:30-18:40 and 19:30 -20:40 daily
Price: RMB 180, 280, 380, 480

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The show covers a large variety of fields: acrobatics, aerial acts, farce, vocal imitations, magic, etc. The troupe is one of the best acrobatic circuses boasting of the largest scale and the most comprehensive programs in China. Repertoires like "Climbing the pole" and "Skills on a bike" are very popular.

7 Acrobatics show @ Chaoyang Theater

Venue: Chaoyang Theater 朝阳剧场
Add: 36, Dongsanhuan Beilu, Chaoyang District
Show time: 17:15-18:25 and 19:15-20:25 daily
Tel: 86-10-65068116
Ticket price: RMB 180-680

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The theatre is a two-storied building with 1400 seats. Right from the Lion Dance to a seesaw performance, every acrobatic performance at this theatre is sure to hold you spellbound.

8 Peking Opera @ Huguang Guild Hall

Venue: Huguang Guild Hall 湖广会馆
Address: Hufang Lu 3,xuanwu District. Subway Line 2 Heping Men (exit D1); walk south 10 min
Show time: 19:30-20:45 daily
Tel: 86-10-63518284
Ticket price: RMB 180-380
http://www.beijinghuguang.com

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Built in 1807, at the height of its glory the Huguang Guild Hall was known as one of the "Four Great Theatres" of Beijing. Many famous past and present opera performers have performed here. Dr, Sun Yat-sen presided over the conference of the founding of the KMT in the guild hall in 1912. Peking Opera and many other local performances are shown here every day. The Huguang Guild Hall also contains a small museum which exhibits the theatre's rich history of Beijing opera.

9 Kun Qu Opera: The Peony Pavilion

Venue: The Imperial Granary 皇家粮仓
Add: Nanxincang, 22 Dongsishitiao, Chaoyang District
Show time: Every Friday and Saturday at 19:30
Ticket price: RMB 380, 580, 780, 980, 1980, and RMB 12000 for a 6-8 people compartment; A Cantonese-style buffet will be provided free for audience one hour ahead of the performance.
Tel: 86-10-64096499

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Kun Qu, which has been enlisted as an item of UNESCO intangible world heritage, is one of the oldest forms of Chinese opera still performed today. This play, a love story as one of China's best-loved classical operas, was written in the Ming Dynasty and first performed in 1598. Today it is a regular performance, but only some 60 visitors admitted at the small but ancient Imperial Granary.

10 Mongolian dance and music shows

Venue: Tenggeli Tala 腾格里塔拉
Add: Xicui Lu, 1000m north of Shagou Lukou 西翠路, 沙沟路口北1000米路东
Tel: 86-10-68150808 68150706
Website: www.tala.com.cn
Show time: 19:30-20:30
Price: RMB 316 for night show and RMB 518 for VIP seats; RMB 188 for lunch show at 12:15-13:00.

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A spectacular Mongolian dance, music performances plus mouthwatering grassland fare such as whole roasted sheep, as well as a generous buffet piled high with endless variations of mutton and salads. The theater restaurant’s performing troupe leave the audience stunned with their theme show of Ordos Wedding. The show displays the lives of the Mongolians, with talented singers, dancers and stunt performers - in one scene the bride and bridegroom come into the room on a camel!

Other shows out of the top ten

11  Face Changing Show 变脸

Venue: Baguobuyi Restaurant 巴国布衣
Add: 2/F, Nanhang Hotel, 10 Dongsanhuan Zhonglu, 东三环中路南航酒店2层
Tel: 86-10-65672188
Price: No ticket for the show, just order some food and watch.

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It's not such a hot attraction for tourists but Baguo Buyi's two big draws -- its burning hot Sichuan cuisine and nightly face changing (bianlian in Chinese) show -- justify a visit. Bianlian is a fascinating component of Sichuan opera, where the performer magically whips through half a dozen or more fearsome and brightly-colored face masks seemingly by magic.

12  The Golden Mask Dynasty 金面王朝

Venue: OCT Theater in Beijing Happy Valley 欢乐谷
Show time: 19:30 daily (Suspended in winter)
Ticket: RMB200, 260, 320, 380, 680
Tel: 86-10-67383333-8825 67201818

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This theater was specially designed for the large-scale show. Set in the Golden Mask Dynasty, a legendary age in China, the story tells how a queen who wears a golden mask creates a splendid dynasty through wisdom, tolerance, trust and boundless love. In eight acts it tells stories of war, bountiful pastures, the forging of metal, ceremonies, the moon, floods, fetes and illusions. They even produce an amazing real flood on the stage!

Other hot places for night shows

Beijing has three hot bar streets catering for both tourists and expats, and they are Houhai area, Sanlitun area and the new booming bar street at Naluoguxiang. Every night, live music works wonders on visitors.

Other places for Peking Opera

Peking opera was extremely popular in the Qing Dynasty court and has come to be regarded as one of the cultural treasures of China. Major performance troupes are based in Beijing and every day the capital has ten or more places shows available. Most Peking Opera plays are unintelligible to the untrained viewer, but they are usually based on folk tales, famous novels and fairy tales and are a pleasure to watch if you know the basic story. Some of the bigger theaters offer subtitles in English and Chinese so even if you don't know the story you can still follow along. Venues where you can see Peking Opera performances are listed as:

Chang'an Grand Theater 长安大戏院

Add: 7 Jianguomennei Dajie, Dongcheng District东城区建内大街7号
Tel: 86-10-65101309; 65101310 (Only in Chinese)
Website: www.changantheater.com
Ticket: 50-800 yuan
English subtitle available

Mei Lanfang Grand Theater梅兰芳大剧院

Add: 32 Ping'anli Dajie (southeast of Guanyuan Qiao), Xicheng District
西城区平安里西大街32号(官园桥东南角)
Tel: 86-10-58331288/1388
Experimental Theater of China National Peking Opera Company 国家京剧院实验剧场

Add: F6, Plaza of the China National Peking Opera Company 国家京剧院大厦８层
22 Ping'anli Xidajie, Xicheng District, Xizhimen 西直门, 西城区平安里西大街22号
Tel: 86-10-58519688/89
Opera House of the National Center for Performing Arts 国家大剧院

Add: No.2, West Chang'an Avenue, Xicheng District 天安门西
Tickets and Information: 86-10-66550000
Regal Palace Chinese Restaurant 秦乐宫中餐厅

Add: Panjiayuan (South East Third Ring Road) 潘家园
1/F, Days Hotel and Suites, 27 Huaweili, Chaoyang District朝阳区华威里27号长安戴斯大饭店1层
Show time: Not available until March
Tel: 86-10-87789888 ext 262

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There is a Snack Night Market in Beijing, China

I find some pictures of Beijing night market on the internet. Pictures taken by "Hobo"—Jeff Westin Stockton, California USA.

So lovely this pictures, so I share them with my friends here.

I hope Jeff will not be unhappy. ^^”

If you want to eat this Beijing snack, you can travel to Beijing. Just book a Beijing tour on internet and set off. It’s so easy.

Now,Welcome to China~~

Rights of photos belongs to Jeff.

Night Market in Beijing

Read the Menu

Sea Horses

Grass Hoppers

Mostly Sea Food

fry insect

 

scorpion

Star Fish

Read this one closely!

fish

Snack Night Market

Jeff

Meet Italian Super Cup, Meet in Beijing's Bird's Nest Stadium

• Match will take place a year after Olympic opening ceremony
• Italian league keen to increase global interest in Serie A

This year's Italian Super Cup will be played at Beijing's Bird's Nest stadium on 8 August. Officials from the Italian football league had already announced the match between the Serie A champions Internazionale and Coppa Italia winners Lazio would be held in the Chinese capital but have now decided to use the Olympic Stadium after weeks of uncertainty over the exact venue.

Take a Beijing tour and watch the Italian Super Cup in Beijing’s Bird’s Nest Stadium.

You can customized your Beijing Super Cup Tour by a creadible Beijing travel agency.

Internazionale striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic - Serie A's top scorer this season.

The pre-season curtain raiser will kick off at 8pm Chinese time, eight minutes short of a year after the Olympic opening ceremony began in the stadium. "The date and time assume an important significance which has been recognised by the Italian league and Italian football," read a statement released by the league.

Italian football chiefs are playing the game abroad in a bid to increase global interest in Serie A, which has suffered in comparison with the English and Spanish leagues in recent years. The sale of Milan's Kaka to Real Madrid on Monday was seen as another blow to Serie A's status.

The Super Cup was due to be played in the United States last year but the plan fell through. It has previously been hosted in the US and Libya.

John Rabe's former house in Nanjing attracts tourists

A team of 110 German tourists kicked off their tour of Nanjing, capital of East China's Jiangsu province on Saturday. But instead of heading for the city's typical scenic spots, the group from afar chose the former residence of John Rabe, a hero to many Chinese.

Take a Nanjing tour to visit Rabe’s former house.

The German tourists were silent as they toured John Rabe's former house. 
Some of them even took notes and left their thoughts in the guest book 
after their visit.

The German tourists were silent as they toured John Rabe's former house. Some of them even took notes and left their thoughts in the guest book after their visit.

A German tourist said, "I'm deeply touched. Just as I said in the guest book, I think what Mr.John Rabe did during the Nanjing Massacre is something remarkable and heroic. And as a German, I'm very proud of him."

John Rabe was a German businessman who is best known for his efforts to protect Chinese civilians during the 1937 Nanjing Massacre. The film "The Diaries of John Rabe", is a joint production by China, Germany and France, and hit cinemas across China in April. The book on which the film is based discloses the events of the Japanese brutal killings in Nanjing. It was published in Germany in 1996.

In the face of the growing interest in John Rabe and his humanitarian deeds, a local travel agency has tailored a special tour for people wishing to visit John Rabe's former residence and pay their respects.

The Chinese food should in your itinerary—Chinese Dumpling

Chinese Dumpling
Chinese dumplings or Jiaozi, with meat and vegetable fillings, is a traditional Chinese Food, which is essential during holidays in Northern China. Chinese are Masters in the Art of Making Dumplings.You can try it at your home.

If you want to taste the really Chinese dumpling you can take a Beijing tour and enjoy the delicacy during your trip. Little tip: Choose a credible Beijing travel agency in China, for your safety and your money.

Fillings
There is no set rule as to what makes dumping fillings. They can be anything from vegetables, meat to seafood. Whatever the fillings, the wrapping skill needs to be exquisite to make jiaozi look attractive.

History
The history of jiaozi dates back to ancient times, some 500-600 years ago. As the Spring Festival marks the start of a new year, people choose to eat jiaozi to connote their wishes for good fortune in the new year. China has been perfecting the art of dumpling making since the Sung dynasty.

Shape and variety
Chinese dumplings may be round or crescent-shaped, boiled or pan-fried. The filling may be sweet or savory; vegetarian or filled with meat and vegetables. Of course, all this variety can be confusing.
As China is a country with a vast territory, there are great difference in various regions in ways of making jiaozi or even serving it. For example, dumplings wrappers are made with a rolling stick in most areas of Beijing and Hebei Provinces, whereas in some parts of Shanxi Province and inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, wrappers are hand- pressed.

How to make Chinese dumplings?
To make Chinese dumplings, first of all, chop the meat into pieces and mash them, then add salt, sesame oil, soy sauce, ginger, scallions, Chinese cabbage and MSG if you like. Mix thoroughly the ingredients; add two spoonful of water if necessary.
In a big bowl, add water to flour gradually. Mix and knead by hand to form soft dough, then cover it with towel and put it aside for about an hour. Then scatter some dry flour on the board, knead and roll it into a sausage---like dough about 5 centimeters in diameter, then chop it into small pieces. Press each piece with your hand and get a pancake. Finally, to hold the pancake with your palm and put the filling in the center and wrap into half-moon shaped and seal the edges.
The next step is easy. Put the dumpling into boiling water, when it is well cooked, it is ready to be served. Before eating, you need to prepare some small dishes to contain the mixture of soy sauce, vinegar, and sesame oil or pepper oil [to your own taste.

Ways of serving
Ways of serving Chinese dumplings also vary from place to place. Generally, Chinese dumplings are boiled in clear water and served dry with vinegar, soy sauce, garlic or pepper oil if one likes them hot. In some parts of the Northeast China, however, dumplings are boiled in broth together with vermicelli made from bean starch, and served together.

Chinese dumplings and culture
New Year's Food
Chinese dumpling is one of the most important foods in Chinese New Year. Since the shape of Chinese dumplings is similar to ancient Chinese gold or silver ingots, they symbolize wealth. Traditionally, the members of a family get together to make dumplings during the New Year's Eve. They may hide some coins in one of the dumplings. The person who fined the coin will likely have a good fortune in the New Year. Chinese dumpling is also popular in other Chinese holidays or festivals, so it is part of the Chinese culture or tradition.
Family Link
Making dumplings is really a team work. Usually family members will join the work. Most ChineseTo starte to make dumplings when they was a kid in family, they know how to make dumplings.Especially good at making dumplings, particularly making skins, which is the hardest part of making dumplings.
Sending Off Friends
Chinese dumpling is often the food for sending off friends or family members away. I guess this is another tradition.

Details of making Chinese dumplings:
Recipes
I have put together a list of recipes of Chinese dumpling.

Filling:
*1 lb. ground pork (or beef)
*6 T. sesame oil
*2 t. sugar
*0.75 t. salt
*0.25 t. pepper
*0.25 lb. cabbage
*1 t. salt
*0.25 lb. chopped green onions
Skin:
*3 c. flour
*0.75 c. cold water
*0.5 c. flour (to prevent sticking during kneading)
soy sauce
water
vinegar (white or rice)
garlic (fresh, chopped fine, or powdered)
ginger (fresh, chopped fine, or powdered)
small bowl with water for dipping

Details of making Chinese dumplings
1. Filling: Mix ground pork, oil, sugar, chop cabbagesalt and pepper until fine. Let sit for 10 minutes; then squeeze out the excess water.
2. Skin: In a bowl, add water to the flour and knead into smooth dough; let it stand for 10 minutes. Roll the dough into a long baton-like roll and cut it into 50 pieces. Use a rolling pin to roll each piece to a thin circle.
3. Combine: Place 1 portion of filling in the center of a dough circle. Fold the circle in half and moisten the edges with water. Use index finger and thumb to bring the sides together. The smooth edge will conform to the decreased length of the pleated edge. Pinch the pleats together then pinch to seal. Place the dumpling on a floured tray and repeat this with the remaining dumplings.
4. Boil: Boil 10 cups of water and add dumplings; gently stir to prevent dumplings from sticking together. Bring to a boil; turn the heat to low and cook for three minutes. When serving, use vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, hot bean paste, etc. as dipping sauces.
5. Serving: Serve the dumplings hot (if you cook them in bamboo baskets you may wish to serve them from it directly at the table) with bowls of soy sauce mixed with red wine vinegar.

Welcome to a secret world in Beijing,China

Welcome to a secret world. For nearly 500 years, the Forbidden City's fortified walls and 170-foot-wide moat protected the Chinese imperial family from fires, invaders, and nosy Europeans.

Do you want to travel to Beijing and explor the secret of the Forbidden City. I’d like to remind you that you should choose a credible Beijing travel agency.

The Forbidden City served as the highly guarded headquarters for two dozen emperors and their clans.

These days, a new menace lurks outside the barriers: the wrecking ball. All over Beijing, ancient hutong, or alleyways, and traditional houses with tiled roofs and courtyards are giving way to state-of-the-art highways and skyscrapers.

Thankfully, the Forbidden City has not only dodged the bulldozer, it's been newly restored, from its charcoal-heated kang beds to its gold-lacquered banquet halls.

Completed in 1420 following a 14-year construction job that involved a crew of more than a million, the palace served over time as the highly guarded headquarters for two dozen emperors and their clans, many of whom rarely ventured beyond its shiny red walls.

Life here was so secretive that the only commoners allowed in were servants and guards, along with a large coterie of concubines and eunuchs. (As the personal attendants of the rulers, the eunuchs had what many Chinese considered the best jobs, and some became extremely wealthy.)

The imperial stranglehold on power came to an abrupt end in 1912 when revolutionaries stormed the Forbidden City and forced the emperor, 6-year-old Puyi, to abdicate. Some saw the downfall coming: During Puyi's coronation at the age of 3, he threw such a tantrum that Chinese nobility considered his rule cursed.

To visitors, the Forbidden City can seem every bit as daunting to navigate as a menu crowded with Chinese characters at a Beijing noodle restaurant. There are supposedly 9,999 rooms spread out over 178 acres, nearly half of which are open to the public. (The rulers of heaven were believed to dwell in a palace with 10,000 rooms, so the Forbidden City was built with one chamber less as a sign of respect to the gods.)

Don't Miss

• Budget Travel: Forbidden City map
• Budget Travel:  Float over Cappadocia
• Budget Travel: Scale a volcano in Ecuador

Millions of people come to the Forbidden City every year, but what they don't realize is that much of it still actually is forbidden and off-limits from public view.

If you love dragon-shaped door knockers, hidden passageways, and imperial backstabbing, devote a full day to prowling the complex.

There are several different ways to dive in. After paying the entrance fee ($6 in winter, $8 in summer), the directionally challenged should consider renting an audio guide for $5 at the Meridian Gate, the main entrance to the inner city.

The machines use GPS technology to lead you on a two-hour tour highlighted by plenty of soap-opera-worthy dish. (In 1900, for instance, the ruthless Empress Dowager Cixi ordered the drowning of the emperor's favorite concubine, Zhenfei, in a well now named for the victim.)

Or you can hire a licensed English-speaking guide (groups of up to five pay about $30 for one hour, $60 for two and a half hours). Wandering on your own is also a fine option; there are signs in English throughout.

At day's end, 9,999,999 snarling dragons later, take in the view of the Forbidden City from the roof-top bar of the fabulously mod Emperor hotel next door. Perch on a chrome stool, sip a rice-wine martini, and bask in the clash between new and old Beijing.

GETTING THERE Round-trip flights between New York and Beijing cost about $920 on Continental. Beijing taxis are very affordable; a typical ride across town is about $3 to $5. You can also take the subway to the Tiananmen West or Tiananmen East stops for 40 cents.

WHAT TO PACK One of the best guidebooks on the palace is "The Forbidden City" by Antony White, a British art historian. It has an easy-to-follow map and the full scoop on the architecture, the objects, and the strict rituals of imperial life.

SOUVENIR A silk scarf adorned with ancient brush-stroke paintings found in the Forbidden City, available for $44 at the palace gift shop.

WHERE TO SPLURGE Treat yourself to dinner just steps from the Forbidden City at Maison Boulud, Daniel Boulud's new restaurant, located in the 1903 American Legation building, which housed the first U.S. embassy in China.

I want a delicious Beijing roast duck.

Being a capital city with a long history, Beijing has attracted a variety of cooks from different regions throughout the country. They brought cooking methods and the delicious food of their own regions to this city forming a blend which is Beijing Cuisine. Flavored local delicacies, Imperial Court Cuisine, Imperial Official Food and special Muslim vegetable dish cater for various tastes.If you want to taste the really Beijing food, choose a beijing travel agency and take a Beijing tour for Chinese food.

Beijing Roast Duck
Beijing Roast Duck is claimed to be the most delicious food in the city. There are two major schools of roast duck preparation. The better known method is that of Quanjude, a time-honored school which developed in the imperial kitchens of the Qing Dynasty.

After being thoroughly cleaned, the duck is brushed with a special seasoning, the recipe is secret, then roasted in an oven, using fruit tree wood as fuel. The crucial point is that the duck should be turned frequently in the oven and cooking should be correctly timed. The finished duck should have bright and crispy skin with tender meat.

The other school uses a special oven in which no flames come into direct contact with the duck. Bianyifang Restaurant in the Chongwenmen District is preeminent at this technique, with a long history.

The duck is sliced into pieces and served with thin pancakes, a thick and sweet sauce and shallot shreds. Usually a diner puts several pieces of duck slices and shallot shreds onto a pancake and rolls it up. Dip this into the sauce to add flavor, and eat.

The best place to taste this food is the Quan Ju De Restaurant, which was built in 1846 and claims to be the origin of this food. It is located at No. 23, Qianmen Dajie. The other two branches of the restaurant can be found in Hepingmen and Wangfujing area.

Imperial Court Cuisine
The imperial Court Cuisine refers to Man-Han Banquet (a dinner banquet of Man and Han national food) from the imperial kitchen. It was a royal feast made of a wide collection of precious foodstuffs from rare birds and animals to delicate seafood. The banquet was served with 108 dishes using exquisite gilded tableware.
Two restaurants provide imperial court dishes in the city today. One is the Imperial Court Restaurant in Beihai Park and the other one is in Tingliguan in the Summer Palace.

Imperial Official Cuisine
Second to the Imperial Cuisine should be Tan Family Dish, a famous cuisine of an imperial official family. It features contemporary Cantonese style with all kinds of elaborately cooked seafood dishes including abalones, shrimps, shark fins, sea cucumbers, bird's nests and other precious food.
Beijing-style Hotpot (Shuan Yang Rou)
In cold winter, Beijing-style hotpot (to be distinguished from Sichuan or Cantonese hotpots also available in the city) is the best choice for a family or friends' get-together.

The hotpot is a bronze bowl with a chimney in the middle. Thin slices of beef and mutton are served with a variety of vegetables including mushrooms, bean curd, potato pieces, lettuce and others. Each diner is given a small bowl of sauce mixed with sesame sauce, garlic sauce, pepper oil, and vinegar. The diners first dip the meat slices in the boiling water to cook and then dip into the sauce bowl. You can choose whatever you want from a full selection of vegetables and meat offered by waiters.
The Dong Lai Shun Restaurant in Wangfujing Dajie is the king of this dish with a century-old history.

Beijing Opera - Really Chinese Traditional Culture

With its fascinating and artistic accompanying music, singing and costumes, the Peking Opera is China's national opera. Full of Chinese cultural facts, the opera presents the audience with an encyclopedia of Chinese culture, as well as unfolding stories, beautiful paintings, exquisite costumes, graceful gestures and martial arts. If you link Bejing Opera, you could choose a credible Beijing travel agency and take a Beijing tours. Then come to China, and enjoy the really charm of Beijing Opera. Since Peking Opera enjoys a higher reputation than other local operas, almost every province in China has more than one Peking Opera troupes. Opera is so popular among Chinese people, especially seniors, that even "Peking Opera Month" has been declared.

Peking Opera has a 200-year-long history. Its main melodies originated from Xipi and Erhuang in Anhui and Hubei respectively and, over time, techniques from many other local operas were incorporated.

It is believed that Peking Opera gradually came into being after 1790 when the famous four Anhui opera troupes came to Beijing. Peking Opera underwent fast development during the reign of Emperor Qianlong and the notorious Empress Dowager Cixi under the imperial patron, eventually becoming more accessible to the common people.

In ancient times, Peking Opera was performed mostly on stage in the open air, teahouses or temple courtyards. Since the orchestra played loudly, the performers developed a piercing style of song that could be heard by everyone. The costumes were a garish collection of sharply contrasting colors to stand out on the dim stage illuminated only by oil lamps. Peking Opera is a harmonious combination of the Grand Opera, ballet and acrobatics, consisting of dance, dialogue, monologues, martial arts and mime.

The Peking Opera band mainly consists of an orchestra and percussion band. The former frequently accompanies peaceful scenes while the latter provides the right atmosphere for battle scenes. The commonly used percussion instruments include castanets, drums, bells and cymbals. One person usually plays the castanets and drum simultaneously, which conduct the entire band. The orchestral instruments include the Erhu, Huqin, Yueqin, Sheng (reed pipe), Pipa (lute) and other instruments. The band usually sits on the left side of the stage.

 Facial Painting

It is said that this special art derived from Chinese opera has different origins. But no matter what its origin, facial painting is worth appreciating for its artistic value. The paintings are representations of the characters' roles. For example, a red face usually depicts heroic bravery, uprightness and loyalty; a white face symbolizes a sinister, treacherous and guile character and a green face connotes surly stubbornness, impetuosity and lack of self-restraint. In addition, facial painting patterns reveal information about a character, as well. Essentially, the unique makeup allows characters on stage to reveal them voicelessly.

 Changing Faces

Peking Opera performers mainly have two types of facial decorations: masks and facial painting. The frequent on-stage changing of masks or facial makeup (without the audience noticing) is a special technique known as changing faces.

Changing faces is a difficult technique in operatic performance. It is considered to be a stunt that can only be mastered after extensive training. Face changing is also a special technique used to exaggerate inner feelings of characters, portray their dispositions, set off the atmosphere and improve effects. Facial changes expressing sudden changes in a character's feelings are done in four ways:

Blowing dust: The actor blows black dust hidden in his palm or close to his eyes, nose or beard, so that it blows back into his face.

Manipulating beard: Beard colors can be changed while the beard is being manipulated -- from black to gray and finally to white -- expressing anger or excitement.

Pulling-down masks: The actor can pull down a mask that has previously been hidden on top of his head, leaving his face red, green, blue or black to communicate happiness, hate, anger or sadness respectively.

Mop: The actor mops out the greasepaint hidden in his sideburns or eyebrows, around his eyes and nose, to change his facial appearance.

 Xingtou

Peking Opera costumes are called Xingtou or, more popularly, Xifu in Chinese. The origins of Peking Opera costumes can be traced back to the mid-14th century when operatic precursors first began to experiment with large, ornate articles of clothing.

Since each dynasty in Chinese history had its own unique operatic costume, the number of costumes was too great for performers to master. Hence, artists and costume designers worked together to create costumes that would be unwieldy on stage and acceptable no matter when or where the action was supposed to take place. The stage image of some well-known historical figures, such as Guan Yu, Zhang Fei and Zhang Liang, were already fixed in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).

Lavish costumes include:

1. Toukui, or opera headdress: crown, helmet, hat and scarf

2. Costume (about 20 kinds): the ceremonial robe, or Mang; the informal robe, or Pei; and the armor, or Kao, for soldiers

3. Opera shoes and boots, or Xue in Chinese

Audiences can distinguish a character's sex and status at the first glance by the type of headdress, robes, shoes and baldrics associated with the role.

Main Roles in Peking Opera

Roles fall into four categories: Sheng, Dan, Jing and Chou. The roles have the natural features of age and sex, as well as social status, and are artificially exaggerated by makeup, costume and gestures.

1. Male Role (Sheng): civil, military; Lao Sheng (old man with a beard: dignified, polished, official, scholar); Xiao Sheng (young man, shrill voice, young warrior, young man of society, stature, elaborate dress), Wu Sheng (acrobatic male, extremely agile and physically skilled).

2. Female Role (Dan): Qing Yi (modest, virtuous), Hua Dan (flirtatious, playful), Gui Men Dan (young, married girl), Dao Ma Dan (strong woman, female general), Wu Dan (female acrobat), Lao Dan (old woman).

3. Painted Face Male (Jing): Spectators are usually startled by the appearance of the Jing. His facial colors symbolize the type of character: red = good, white = treacherous, etc.

4. Comedy Actor or Clown (Chou): dim-witted, amusing, rascal, occasionally slightly wicked.