As one of China's main traditional art forms, Peking Opera has a history of more than 200 years. It shows rich Chinese culture, including wonderful stories, paintings and clothes. There are four main kinds of performers called sheng, dan, jing and chou. Sheng is the main male role. Dan is the female role. Jing is the face painted role and chou is a male clown role. Peking Opera tells stories through movement, singing and dancing .
Stories in Peking Opera are very interesting, and they usually end up with happiness and laughter. People's favorite, Romance of the Western Chamber, was on at Mei Lanfang Theatre in Beijing in July. Written by the playwright (剧作家) Wang Shifu in the Yuan Dynasty, it tells the story of a young scholar (书生) Zhang Sheng and Cui Yingying, daughter of an official, falling in love after meeting by chance in a temple.
Since Cui is strictly "watched" by her mother, Zhang has to express his love in a secret way by reading pocems aloud outside the wall of the temple. When Cui and her mother are in danger, Cui's mother says that she will allow her daughter to marry whoever can save them. With a friend's help, Zhang succeeds in saving them, but the mother refuses to keep her promise because Zhang is poor. Thanks to Cui's maid (女仆), Hongniang, Zhang and Cui finally get married.
Peking Opera is popular at home and abroad. Some western Peking Opera lovers even come to china to compete and perform in popular talent shows.
