Kun Opera arose in Kunshan, now the province of Zhejiang, during the 16th century. Typical instruments include the jinghu (a two-stringed instrument), the sanxian (an instrument with three strings), the suona (a wind instrument) as well as the gong and the cymbals, to name but a few. Beijing Opera has four main characters: sheng (a man), dan (a young woman), jing (a man with a painted face) and chou (the clown). The costumes, the masques, the highly stylised movements and the actions of the performers tell us much about the characters they are portraying. The costumes are inspired by Ming Dynasty style.

Dance and song, enhanced by elements of the Chinese martial arts, are characteristic features of this form of opera. Beijing Opera libretti contain both tragic and comic elements which are used to dramatise historical events and popular legends. By the mid 19th century, the Beijing opera had developed a style of its own. The different opera styles gradually merged and absorbed aspects of Beijing speech melody in the process. In 1790, the most famous artists in the Hui, Han, Yi and Qin operas travelled to Beijing to join in the celebrations surrounding Emperor Qianlong’s 80th birthday. Different Styles of Chinese Music Theatreīeijing Opera is the most recent form of Chinese opera, and the best known internationally.

History of chinese opera