Mei Langfang performed in the opera Drunken Beauty. [Photo/showchina.org]

During the development of Peking Opera, the dan (female) role was traditionally played by men. Women couldn’t act on the stage with men until the late Qing Dynasty. So it is common to see men dressed like females perform in the opera. Mei Lanfang was one of the most famous Peking artists, known for his qing yi role, a type of dan role representing orthodox young women. There are also lao dan (old female), wu dan (female with martial skills), cai dan (female clown) and dao ma dan (warrior woman) roles.

Color patterns painted on the face of characters are called lianpu, or facial makeup. Jing roles are characterized by facial makeup and the pattern varies in the personality and disposition of the character. So people also call them hualian, or painted-face. A white face means treachery and cunning, a black face uprightness, a red face courage and virtue and a blue face cruelty or wild temperament. A mix of multiple colors indicates a more complicated personality. Actually, the makeup indicates the Chinese people’s evaluation of historical figures. The jing role is also divided into the singing-based wen jing and martial type, or wu jing.

Chou (clown) literally means clumsy and dull. On the contrary, people who play the chou role, are able to act as all kinds of people from high-ranking officials to farmers and traders. Such a character needs to entertain the audience with his humor and jokes. The chou role is divided into wen chou (gentle clowns) and wu chou (martial clowns).