Chinse Opera

Chou (clown) is the fourth role category in Peking Opera and serves as a foil to the leading character, but it predated other role categories."No chou role, no play" has long been a popular saying.

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The male and female characters in the picture both have hard kao armor suit with flags on.

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The local Chinese opera known as Pingju emerged around the 1910s. It incorporates musical elements from narrative song form and folk dance. Its folk roots and colloquial language allowed it to spread throughout most of northern China, and then to other parts of the country. There are four major schools of Pingju Opera. The Bai School is the most popular in recent years. we will bring you the art and life of famous actress Wang Guanli, the fourth generation disciple of Pingju opera's Bai School.

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An artist performs at the opening ceremony of the 5th China Qinqiang Opera Arts Festival in Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province, Aug. 28, 2010. The opera festival consists of nearly 60 performances which are shown at many theatres in Xi'an from Aug. 22 to Sept. 6. Qinqiang is a local opera that thrives in northwest China's Gansu, Shaanxi, Qinghai, Ningxia and Xinjiang. It is known as the "First Emperor's Opera," indicating it was popular during the reign of Qinshihuang, the first emperor of a united China in the Qin Dynasty

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