peking Opera is considered as the national opera. The accompanying music, singing and costumes are all fascinating and artistic. Full of Chinese cultural facts, the opera presents audience an encyclopedia of Chinese culture as well as unfolding stories, beautiful paintings, exquisite costumes, graceful gestures and acrobatic fightings. Since it enjoys a higher reputation than other local operas, almost every province of China has more than one Peking Opera troupe to entertain numerous fan? Peking Opera has more than 200-year history.
Four roles in bei jing opera
There are four main roles in Peking Opera: Sheng, Dan, Jing and Chou.

Sheng is the leading male actors and are divided into Laosheng, who wear beards and represent old men, Xiaosheng, who represent young men, Wusheng, who play military men and fighters and are acrobats, These roles usually wear no facial paintings.
Dan is the female roles. Formerly, the term meant female impersonator. It is divided into many categories. Laodan are the old ladies while Caidan the female comedians. Wudan usually play military or non-military women capable of martial arts. The most important category, Qingyi usually play respectable and decent ladies in elegant costumes. Huadan represent lively and clever young girls, usually in short costumes.

Jing, mostly male, are the face-painted roles who represent warriors, heroes, statesmen, adventurers and demons. Jing is generally categorized into Zhengjing, Fujing and Wujing.

Chou refers to clowns who are characterized by a white patch on the nose. Usually white patches of different shape and size mean roles of different character. They are not definitely rascals, while most of the time they play roles of wit, alert and humor. It is them who keep the audience laughing and to improvise quips at the right moments to ease tension in some serious plays.

facial painting in Beijing opera
the facial painting is fascinating and full of artistic value. The paintings are presentations of roles' characters