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Peking Opera

Peking opera of China is a national treasure which dates back to the year 1790. That year four local opera troupes of Anhui Province came to Beijing on a performance tour on the order of the imperial court. The tour was a hit and the troupes stayed. The artists absorbed the tunes of the Hubei local opera and drew on the best of Kun Qu, Qin Qiang and Bang Zi and other local operas.

There is no lacking of social celebrities among Peking opera fans. Emperor Guang Xu of Qing Dynasty, for example, was not only a good amateur Peking opera singer, but was also a good drummer in the Peking opera orchestra (the drummer plays the role of the director of the orchestra). The Empress Dowager was an avid Peking opera fan, too. The huge three-storey theater in the Summer Palace is a proof of her love for Peking opera.

With a history of over 200 years, Beijing Opera, which originated in Beijing, is the operatic form commanding the biggest following. It combines acting, dialogue, singing, music, dancing and acrobatics, and its roles can be classified in four categories: sheng, dan, jing and chou. In acting and acrobatics, different roles follow different patterns, all rather exaggerated, suggestive and symbolic. The actions of opening a door, going up the stairs, rowing a boat or climbing a hill, for instance, are done purely through the mime-like movements of the actors without the help of props.

The costumes in Peking opera are graceful, magnificent, elegant and brilliant, most of which are made in handicraft embroidery. As the traditional Chinese pattern are adopted, the costumes are of a high aesthetic value.

The outstanding Beijing Opera actor Mei Lanfang (1894--1961) was a great artist who excelled in singing, recitation and dancing and had a fine understanding of music, costumes and make-up. This creative actor formed a school of his own which has been very influential in the Contemporary operatic field. His masterpieces include A Woman Feigning Madness, The Drunken Beauty and The King Bids Farewell to His Concubine. Among other well-known Beijing Opera actors are Cheng Yanqiu, Ma Lianliang, Zhou Xinfang and Zhang Junqiu.

Since Mei Lanfang, the grand master of Peking opera, visited Japan in 1919, Peking opera has become more and more popular with people all over the world, and it has made an excellent contribution to cultural exchange between China and the West, to friendly association and to improvement of solidarity.

Peking Opera house of Beijing has been invited to perform in U.S.A., England, France, Germany, Italy (three times), Australia, Japan( four times), Brazil, Turkey, Singapore, South korea and Hongkong (five times). The performances have made an outstanding contribution to Sino-foreign cultural exchange and to the promotion of friendly association of peoples in the world, and were highly appreciated by foreign audiences.

Peking Opera house of Beijing is willing to participate in activities of international cultural exchange and of commercial performances and sincerely hopes that friends in various countries will make contacts with us about cultural exchange and performances.

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