Peking Opera’s living repertoire runs to hundreds of titles, drawn from Chinese history, folklore, classic novels (Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Water Margin, Journey to the West) and legend. You do not need to know them all to enjoy a performance — but a handful of warhorses turn up again and again, and recognising them is like knowing the greatest hits of any opera house.

Below is a starter list. Most are Wenxi (civil, singing-led) or Wuxi (martial, acrobatics-led); a few are beloved by both. For the performers who made them famous, see famous performers, and for the schools behind the styles, the schools of Peking Opera.

Civil & lyric favourites

• The Drunken Concubine (贵妃醉酒, Guìfēi Zuìjiǔ) — a lone imperial consort, neglected by the emperor, drifts into wine and longing. A showcase for the dan (female role) and the Mei school.
• Farewell My Concubine (霸王别姬, Bàwáng Biéjī) — the fall of the hero Xiang Yu; a sword dance of love and defeat. One of the most performed tragedies worldwide.
• Locking the Hairpin (凤还巢, Fèng Huán Cháo) — a sparkling comedy of mismatched marriages and mistaken identity.
• The Unicorn Purse (锁麟囊, Suǒ Lín Náng) — a Cheng-school masterpiece about kindness repaid across a lifetime.
• Spring Pavilion Dream (游园惊梦, Yóu Yuán Jīng Mèng) — a Kunqu-influenced dream of love, delicate and poetic.

Martial & spectacle

• Havoc in Heaven (大闹天宫, Dà Nào Tiāngōng) — the Monkey King wrecks the heavens; pure acrobatic fireworks, beloved by children.
• The Crossroads (三岔口, Sān Chà Kǒu) — two men fight in the dark using pure mime and timing; no words, universal comedy-thriller.
• Mu Guiying Takes Command (穆桂英挂帅, Mù Guìyīng Guà Shuài) — a ageing woman general answers the call to lead; a defiant daomadan (armed female) role.
• Empty City Stratagem (空城计, Kōng Chéng Jì) — Zhuge Liang out-bluffs an enemy army with a calm sitar and an open gate.
• The White Snake (白蛇传, Bái Shé Zhuàn) — a snake spirit’s love for a mortal; the “Broken Bridge” scene is a lyric high point.

Modern & revolutionary

• The Legend of the Red Lantern (红灯记, Hóngdēng Jì) — one of the eight “model operas” of the 1960s–70s; a resistance story passed through three generations.
• Shajiabang (沙家浜, Shājiābāng) — another model opera, blending espionage, humour and stirring ensemble singing.

How to choose a show

When browsing a programme, the role type is your clue to the mood: a dan-led piece leans lyric and emotional, a jing/wusheng piece leans spectacular. The role-type guide explains how to read the cast at a glance, and the makeup guide tells you what the faces mean once the curtain rises.

Ready to go deeper? The Chinese-language aixiw.com archive holds synopses and performance notes for hundreds more titles.