Page 54 - (DK Eyewitness) Top 10 Travel Guide - Beijing

52 ❯❯ The Top 10 of Everything

Beijing Opera

Not only do these characters have
the most striking look of all the
performers, they also usually have
predominantly forceful personalities.
Monkey
3
Clever, resourceful, and
brave, Monkey is one of the
favorite characters in Beijing
Opera. He has his origins in
classic Chinese literature.
Preparing for the role of Monkey Dan
Colors
1 4
Dan are the female roles.
The colors of the performers’
Laodan are old ladies and caidan
painted faces symbolize the the female comedians, while
individual characters’ qualities. wudan are the martial artists.
Red, for example, represents The most important category,
loyalty and courage. Purple qingyi, usually play respectable
stands for solemnity and and decent ladies in
a sense of justice, while elegant costumes.
green is symbolic of
Mei Lanfang
bravery and irascibility. 5
The foremost male
Jing
2 role (dan) during Beijing
interpreter of the female
There are four main role
types in Beijing Opera: sheng Opera’s heyday in the 1920s
(male), dan (female), jing and 1930s was Mei Lanfang.
(painted face), and chou All female roles were once
(clown). Jing have stylized played by male actors, but
patterned, colored faces, The comic this is no longer the case.
and represent warriors, chou character
Chou
heroes, statesmen, 6
adventurers, and demons. The chou are
the comic characters, denoted
Jing performers on stage by white patches on their noses.

Eyewitness Travel – Top 10 series LAYERS PRINTED:
Two-column, 8.5pt grid “UK” LAYER
(SourceReport v.1.9)
052-053_Top_10_Beijing.indd 52 25/07/2017 10:46
Date 24th June 2015
Size 100mm x 191mm