What Is Peking Opera?

Summary

The video discusses Peking Opera, a revered Chinese performance art that blends music, singing, dancing, and historical narratives. Emerging in the late 18th century, it features four main character types, each portraying different age, gender, and social status. Unique masks symbolize various traits, with colors signifying positive and negative characteristics. Actors undergo rigorous training from a young age, mastering singing, dancing, and martial arts. The performance style is symbolic, with actions representing deeper meanings, such as walking in circles to indicate long journeys. Peking Opera is celebrated as a cultural treasure in China, showcasing its rich heritage.

Takeaways

• 🎭 Peking Opera is a traditional Chinese performance art that combines music, singing, dancing, and miming.
• 🎶 This art form originated in the late 18th century and gained popularity throughout China by the 19th century.
• 🌟 Peking Opera is considered one of China's cultural treasures.
• 👥 There are four main character types in Peking Opera, each representing different ages, genders, and social statuses.
• 🚺 The 'Dan' role represents female characters but is typically played by young male performers due to restrictions on women acting.
• 🎨 Masks in Peking Opera symbolize different characteristics; for example, red signifies positivity, while black is neutral.
• 🟡 The green mask implies jealousy, and the yellow mask represents cruelty, contrasting with Western interpretations of these colors.
• 🤹‍♂️ Actors train rigorously from a young age, mastering singing, dancing, acting, and martial arts.
• ⏰ Training can be demanding, often involving long hours, sometimes from 5:00 a.m. until evening.
• 🌌 The performance style of Peking Opera is abstract, using symbolism to convey deeper meanings, such as walking in circles to signify a long journey.

Q & A

What is Peking Opera?

Peking Opera is a traditional Chinese performance art that combines music, singing, miming, dancing, and historical storytelling.

When did Peking Opera originate?

Peking Opera arose in the late 18th century and became popular throughout China by the 19th century.

What are the main characters in Peking Opera?

There are four main character types in Peking Opera: sheng (male), dan (female), jing (painted face), and chou (clown).

What does the term 'sheng' refer to?

'Sheng' refers to the main male role in Peking Opera, typically played by male performers.

Why are female roles played by male performers?

Female roles, referred to as 'dan', are played by young male performers due to historical restrictions that prohibited women from acting.

What is the significance of the different masks in Peking Opera?

Masks in Peking Opera represent different characteristics and emotions. For instance, red signifies positive traits, while black is neutral, and colors like green and yellow represent negative qualities.

What training do Peking Opera actors undergo?

Peking Opera actors undergo extensive training from a young age, learning various performing arts including singing, dancing, and martial arts, often in special schools.

How rigorous is the training for Peking Opera performers?

The training is very rigorous, often lasting from early morning until evening, and it requires mastering multiple performing arts and martial skills.

What does the stage symbolism represent in Peking Opera?

The stage in Peking Opera is designed to represent a different reality, where actions such as walking in circles can symbolize traveling great distances, and using props like whips can represent galloping.

What cultural significance does Peking Opera hold today?

Today, Peking Opera is regarded as one of China's cultural treasures, showcasing a rich heritage of art, music, and performance.