Peking Opera: China’s Re-emerging Artform

By: Harun Siddiqui

In China, there exists a multitude of historic sites and attractions—the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace—but one of the most culturally significant yet least known is the Beijing Opera Theater. Within its walls, thousands are transported daily into a unique world of elaborate choreography and colorful costumes as skilled performers bring to life one of hundreds of Peking Operas. A traditional Chinese performance art, Peking Opera (also called 京劇 or jīngjù) has been delighting audiences since the late eighteenth century. 

Origins

The artform finds its roots in a variety of regional theatrical styles stretching back to the Three Kingdoms Period (220-280 CE), but most historians consider the modern Peking Opera to have originated relatively recently in 1790. 

The Qianlong emperor of the Qing dynasty had had an eye for the dramatic, ignited by artistic performances by Jiangnan troupes during his first southern tour in 1751. Following the trip, the emperor gathered the finest performers from around the nation in order to perform at his mother’s sixtieth birthday party. Hundreds of actors and musicians gathered in Beijing to entertain the imperial mother with extravagant festivities; this would soon become traditional for birthdays of the elite.

The emperor’s eightieth birthday came in September of 1790, though preparations started years in advance. In the summer preceding his birthday, a traveling Anhui company known as 三庆 or sānqìng (literally “three celebrations”) arrived in Beijing to entertain the Qianlong emperor, with three other troupes following their lead. These would eventually become the “Four Anhui Companies” that pioneered the development and evolution of Peking Opera as an independent and novel artform.

The Qianlong emperor was also responsible for instituting a complete ban on women from public theaters, both as actors and as audience members. This paved the way for the creation of the dan role in Chinese opera, in which male performers impersonated young women. The most famous of the dan actors was Wei Chang-Sheng; the emperor exiled him from the capital in 1785 because his performances were believed to be obscene and suggestive. Ironically, Wei found refuge in Jiangnan where he influenced the operatic tradition the emperor would soon come to love, and was instrumental in the development of Peking opera in the following decades.

Peking Opera during the Cultural Revolution

Following the Chinese Civil War and the rise to power of the Chinese Communist Party, the new government attempted to transform art into a vessel for propaganda. This would culminate in the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976) in which art that lacked communist themes was banned. Those that remained were the so-called “revolutionary operas” which told the story of China’s recent struggles in contrast to the fanciful sagas of most Peking operas. 

Interestingly, of the eight model plays approved by CCP leader Mao Zedong, five were Peking operas; albeit, these were heavily adjusted from their traditional forms, including changing the endings to fit communist values. Additional changes included introducing more practical clothing such as army uniforms and realistic backdrops. All of this was to reflect the plays’ political message, usually about a hero vanishing an enemy of China, while also serving to make them relatable to the common man.

When Chairman Mao’s death brought the Cultural Revolution to an end, it began a gradual process of restoring art and opera to their antebellum forms; a wider selection of Peking operas were performed, costumes were more traditionally elaborate, backgrounds were sparser, and composers started writing new Peking operas. Even so, the Revolution had a significant impact on art in China and may have been responsible for the decline in popularity of Peking opera in the twenty-first century.

Opera in Taiwan

Of course, China was not the only nation that utilized opera for its own nationalistic purposes. Taiwan’s name for Peking Opera, guójù (國劇, literally “national opera”) reflects its own attempts to claim the art style as part of Taiwanese cultural identity. 

In April 1992, the Taiwanese Dapeng Opera Troupe publicized the opening night of Hualong Dianjing, a new Peking opera; the posters and newspaper articles distributed all used the Chinese name of the art: jīngjù. Two weeks before opening night, however, the Ministry of Defense ordered a ban on the sale of all materials displaying the Chinese name. An official claimed that “jīngjù” was the word mandated by the CCP and it was not appropriate for Taiwanese troupes to follow Communist policy. The troupe was forced to paste the characters for “dapeng” as an interim solution to the problem. 

The term “jīngjù” was taboo in Nationalist-controlled Taiwan because of government officials' desire to avoid using terminology endorsed by the mainland Communists. The replacement name’s meaning of “national opera” indicates Taiwan’s struggle to break free from the reins of China and create an independent culture.

Peking Opera in the Modern Day 

Due to a combination of reasons, the popularity of Peking Opera has declined since the Cultural Revolution, with several attempts to revive the long-lasting art form. Despite this, the increase in globalization in the twenty-first century has led to the spread of Peking Opera out of China, with regular performances in Japan, the United States, and elsewhere. 

The decline of the art style is due in part to the archaic language used in performances, based upon the Classical dialect, which presents a challenge for modern audiences to understand the shows. Additionally, the opera’s portrayal mostly of royal officials and outdated situations make it unrelatable for ordinary people. A lack of emphasis on training new performers has also led to a decline in quality of productions.

To combat the shrinking presence of Peking Opera, various reform movements have taken place over the years; for example, the creation of a school for performance theory and the introduction of new works into opera companies’ repertoire. New singing techniques have been used to pique the audience’s interest, and some troupes have even started performing for free in public areas to increase awareness of the art. Whatever its future, Peking Opera and its remarkable legacy are an integral part of Chinese culture and will not soon be forgotten.