Beijing Opera

We went to the Beijing Opera at the Liyuan Theater, a large theater with a balcony, and two marquis signs on either side of the stage to provide the "closed captioning" for the non-Chinese speakers (at times the translations were more entertaining than the show itself!) I'm not a huge fan of the opera, so I wasn't sure how much I would enjoy it. Before the show I milled about in the lobby, watching the actors apply their make-up, and admiring items in the giftshop from a distance.

In the performance, the actors wore very exaggerated make-up, and traditional Chinese costumes. They also made use of very minor props to represent something much greater. For example, an actor carried an oar to indicate that he was sailing. The stories usually depict ancient Chinese fairy tales or significant historical events and are filled with opposing characters- good or bad, ugly or beautiful, loyal or treacherous. The costumes are beautiful, vivid colors made of fine embroidered silks, and the acting is a combination of singing, dancing, acrobatic fighting, dialogue and mime.

No description of the Beijing Opera would be complete without mentioning the music, which is played on a variety of instruments, including the jinghu (a high-pitched two-stringed bowed instrument), the yuequin (a four-stringed plucked instrument), and the sanxian (a three-stringed plucked instrument), plus a few horns, drums, cymbals, and gongs. Officially, the music has "a melody with harmonious rhythms which are graceful and pleasing to the ears." Nobody could be blamed if they didn't agree with the official assessment, though. One member of our group said it sounded "like a cat was being tortured". Either way, all the various elements combined to provide an interesting and entertaining show, and an experience that I won't soon forget.