One of the most enduring symbols of China – seen on tourist brochures, souvenirs and chinoiserie both here and abroad – is the Beijing Opera mask. With its distinctive shape and colours, it’s instantly recognisable, and quintessentially Chinese. But what is the story behind this eye-catching mask?

Beijing Opera is an intricate and skilful stage extravaganza combining dance, song, acrobatics, and martial arts. Also known as jīngjù (京剧), or guóju (国剧) in Taiwan, the art form has its roots in the Qing Dynasty of the 18th century. Travelling minstrels from other provinces came to the capital to perform in front of the emperor, including four great troupes from Anhui who came in 1790. They were followed in 1828 by groups from Hubei, and the different styles of performance from the two provinces influenced the way Beijing Opera developed.

Photo: Louis le Grand

Originally, only men were allowed to perform, echoing the same moral stance seen in the West, where females were not permitted on stage. In 1772, the emperor made an official ban on women appearing in operas, but this was slowly eroded over the years. Shanghai, ever a city of progress and rebellion, allowed women to perform in 1894, and the country-wide ban was lifted in 1911 after the Republic of China was established.

The Cultural Revolution was an interesting time for Beijing Opera. As the artistic canon was cleansed of any counter-Communist works, the formerly 1,400 strong repertoire of operas was cut to just eight. Only works that were considered compatible with the new Communist ideals were performed.

Photo: d’n’c

When the Republic withdrew to Taiwan in 1949, the opera became something of a political tool for the Guomindang. The party believed that Beijing Opera was the embodiment of all that was great about China, to the extent that Taiwanese opera was overshadowed by the Beijing style.

The training required to be an opera performer was notoriously hard and long. In old times, opera masters would hand-pick apprentices from families and train them individually, taking a cut of later earnings as payment. After 1911, schools were established for training in acrobatics, wushu, dance, and singing, and conditions were strict and often harsh. If one student made a mistake, the whole group would be beaten as punishment. The Japanese invasion of 1931 led to all schools being closed, and when new ones began to open in the 1950s, less draconian methods were used to train pupils. Modern schools now teach academic subjects as well.

At the start of their training, young performers are assessed according to their abilities, and assigned to the roles that they will portray throughout the rest of their career. Those least gifted for physical performance usually become opera musicians, while the most talented will take on lead roles. Like the Western commedia dell’arte, with its Harlequin and Columbine, and Punch and Judy, Beijing Opera has stock characters. The main male part is the sheng (生) who can take on a variety of guises including laosheng (old man), hongsheng (red-faced man), xiaosheng (young man), and wusheng (martial arts man). Likewise, the main female role (dan – 旦) can be laodan, wudan etc. The jing (净), or painted-face male, can be either a secondary or lead figure, and must be able to master all 15 of the traditional face patterns. A strong voice is also necessary to play this part. The chou (丑) is the clown figure, and can be either wenchou (civillian) or wuchou (military).

Photo: J Di

The performance itself takes place on a square stage, usually with three open sides. It is bisected by a curtain called a shoujiu, behind one side of which sits the orchestra. There is very little set decoration, and few props. There is normally a table and a chair, which are used to represent everything from houses to mountains. This scarcity of embellishment calls for colourful costumes and masks. Each colour seen on stage has a certain meaning: yellow for the emperor, purple for high ranks, blue for lower ranks, white for young characters, and brown for old. The masks also have a complex system of representation. The main colours are red, black, white, and green. Red symbolises courage and faithfulness, as seen in stock character Guan Yu in his loyalty to emperor Liu Bei. Black represents a fierce character, while white is the colour of suspicion, villainy, and treachery. Green means violence and stubbornness. Clown figures are often left barefaced with a patch of xiaohualian (white chalk) on their noses.

The accompaniment is traditionally provided by a small group of musicians. The instruments they play are the jinghu, a two stringed erhu­-like violin, the yueqin lute, and three drums (daluo, xiaoluo, and naobo). The group is led by a musician playing a drum and clapper. There are two styles of Beijing Opera music. The first, xipi, originates from the northwest and is used for happy stories. The erhuang style comes from Hubei, and is more soulful and lyrical.

Photo: BokicaK

Unfortunately, despite its rich history, Beijing Opera isn’t exactly flourishing these days. Great opera houses like the Huguang Guildhall still stage performances, it has fallen in popularity over the past fifty years. While it represents the intricacy, dedication, and skill of Chinese art in general, many people see it as archaic, out of touch, and inaccessible. Some theatre companies, keen to bring the opera back into vogue, have tried to make it more appealing to a wider audience by shortening scenes, and offering free shows, much to the disdain of traditionalists who would seemingly rather see it die than be ‘dumbed down’. This is a fate suffered by Western opera; it is commonly seen as disconnected from modern times and preoccupations – the domain of the fusty and elite. But CCTV has recently dedicated a channel (number 11) to opera, and shows regular Beijing pieces. This, plus the efforts of revivalists and fans of the style, should secure the future of this impressive art form.
 

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