TRADITIONAL CHINESE OPERA
1 min readChinese opera has as a history dating back some 2, 000 years. There are 317 types of opera,of which Peking opera is the most important and well-known.
The practitioner of Peking opera is a master athlete he must be in top physical shape to accommodate the rigors of this performance art. Most performers begin their training in Peking opera as a child.
Performers wear extensive makeup; their whole faces are painted in bright colors.
Colorful masks, inspired from ancient ceremonies and religious symbols, are sometimes don by the actors. The color of each character’s face is significant as it represents the character’s personality and fate. Understanding the colors will greatly enhance your enjoyment of the opera as it is an intricate part of the story. Red faces represent necessarily with brains!) or those held in high regard by commoners; yellow and white are negative colors, often meaning cunning or a tendency to be suspicious; gold denotes deities and silver is reserved for demons or bad spirits. The make-up style indicates if a character is good or evil.
