Peking Opera formed in Beijing in the late eighteenth century when several regional opera traditions were brought together for imperial performances. It is not a play with songs. It is a total form: singing, stylized speech, acrobatic fighting and codified movement, all carried by a very small orchestra of strings, percussion and clappers.
The four role types
Sheng are male roles, dan are female roles, jing are painted-face characters, and chou are clowns. Once you can identify the painted face, the show is legible almost immediately: a red face signals loyalty and courage, a white face signals treachery, and a black face signals a blunt, forceful character. The face paint is a plot summary.
What an evening looks like
The big opera houses stage full-length works that can run over two hours. For a first visit, a teahouse program is a better introduction: a set of three or four short excerpts, each with a printed or projected English synopsis, plus tea and snacks served at your table. You will see the martial acrobatics, the sleeve work by the dan performers and the comic business of the chou, and you will leave understanding the grammar.
Practical notes
Programs usually start between 19:00 and 19:30 and last about ninety minutes. Seating is at small tables and early arrival matters if you want a front table. Snacks and tea are included in most teahouse tickets. Photography without flash is normally fine; recording the full performance is not.
If you want more
Ask your guide about a backstage visit, where you can see the process of applying the painted-face makeup. It takes up to an hour and is a good explanation of why the characters read the way they do.
