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Beijing Opera is a traditional theater form that combines singing, dialog, dance, music and acrobatics. It was performed in the late 18th century but became popular in the 19th century, especially during the Qing Dynasty. While the popularity of Beijing Opera has waned in recent years, despite attempts to modernize it with contemporary storylines, it is still considered a pinnacle in Chinese culture.
There are over 1,400 storylines that a traditional Beijing Opera can depict, though recently some new plays and adaptations have emerged. Most of the stories are based around Chinese history and folklore. The Beijing Opera uses a special dialect of Chinese that can be very difficult to understand. Fortunately, many of the most popular theaters now offer subtitles in both English and standard Mandarin.
There are four main roles in every Beijing Opera. The Sheng, or main role, is a male charactered who typically sings in a very high voice. The Jing is a supporting male role, always depicted with a painted face, and characterized by a strong voice and forceful body movements. The third male role is the Chou, or clown, which is also a painted face character and has a close relationship to the opera's percussion accompaniment. The final character type is the Dan, or female, role.
The stage scenery of a Beijing Opera is typically very sparse. Instead, the focus of the story falls upon the actors, who narrate events with highly stylized and symbolic movements that are timed precisely with accompanying music.
The most popular Beijing Opera theaters are:
Zhengyici Theater
No. 220 Xiheyan Dajie
6303-3104
Huguang Guild Hall
No. 3 Hufang Lu
6351-1309
Changan Grand Hall
Changan Building
No. 7 Jiangguomennei Dajie
6510-1309
Peking
opera can be enjoyed
in several places with
daily shows. Peking opera
is a mix of singing,
music, dance and acrobatics
with elaborate costumes.
Traditional instruments
such as the two stringed
fiddles, lutes, drums
and gongs are used. The
story is normally a myth
or historical event.
Li Yuan Theatre
L located
inside the Qianmen Hotel
(6301 6688)
Chang An Grand Theatre,
7 Jianguomennei, Dongchen
District (6510 1155).
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