Traditional Chinese Performance

Peking Opera

Beijing Opera or Peking Opera is regarded as the national opera in China for it has a long history and a complete system of stage performance. It was originally a local drama in Anhui Province. Development As the story goes, Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty fell interested in the local drama during his inspection of the Southern China in disguise. To celebrate his 80th birthday in 1790, he summoned opera troupes from different areas around China to perform for him in Beijing. Af... More

Kunqu Opera

Kunqu Opera first appeared in late Yuan Dynasty (1271A .D. -1368A .D.) some 600 years ago in the lower reaches of Yangtze River. It was one of the earliest genres of drama and named for its birthplace, Kunshan, near the city of Suzhou in today's Jiangsu Province. The opera reached its heyday during the reign of Qinglong in Qing Dynasty. Characters of Kunqu Opera Kunqu Opera is famous for its gentle and clear vocals, beautiful and refined tunes, and the perfect combination of dance an... More

Quyi

Quyi is a general name for several hundreds speaking and singing art forms. Quyi is profoundly rooted in Chinese time-honored history and culture. In ancient times, both storytelling and comic performances were widespread and popular among not only common people, but in the palaces and the mansions of nobility. During the Tang Dynasty (618-907), many old and new stories was been told, some of them were from Buddhist scriptures and some were accompanied by folk songs. During the Song Dynasty (960... More

Acrobatics

Acrobatics is the performance of extraordinary feats of balance, agility and motor coordination. It can be found in many of the performing arts, and in many sports. Acrobatics is most often associated with activities that make extensive use of gymnastic skills, such as circus, and gymnastics, but many other athletic activities, such as Wushu, ballet and diving may also employ elements of acrobatics. Items in Chinese acrobatics include the universally recognised Lion Dance, oral stunts, pagoda of... More

Shadow Play

Shadow play is taken as an earliest ancestor of modern cinema; the unique artistic value makes it be reserved from the ancient time.   Performers control characters while singing the libretto to tell the story behind the screen. The character, or we can say silhouette, is made of hard paper, buffalo and donkey hide. The silhouette is projected on a white screen as the actor or actress in this play.   Many artistic factors are included in this play. Light, screen, music, singing and... More