Peking opera

Uncommon card · No. 155225

Peking opera, or Beijing opera, Jingju (simplified Chinese: 京剧; traditional Chinese: 京劇; pinyin: Jīngjù), is the dominant form of Chinese opera, which combines instrumental music, vocal performance, miming, martial arts, dance and acrobatics. It arose in Beijing in the mid-Qing dynasty (1644–1912) and became fully developed and recognized by the mid-19th century. The form was extremely popular in the Qing court and has come to be regarded as one of the cultural treasures of China. Major performance troupes are based in Beijing, Tianjin and Shanghai. The art form is also preserved in Taiwan, where it is also known as Guójù (Chinese: 國劇; lit. 'National opera'). It has also spread to other regions such as the United States and Japan. Peking opera features four main role types: shēng (生; 'gentlemen'), dàn (旦; 'women'), jìng (淨/净; 'rough men'), and chǒu (丑; 'clowns'). Performing troupes often have several of each variety, as well as numerous secondary and tertiary performers. With their elaborate...

Read on Wikipedia · Image 陈文 from 上海, CC BY 2.0