As China progresses into a modern society, it is important for the nation to preserve its unique cultural heritage.  China’s national opera, Peking Opera, is one such tradition.  With a 200-year history that began during the Qing Dynasty, the opera is a vibrant display of ancient Chinese culture, including its elaborate costumes, piercing vocals, unique percussion, extreme facial expressions, exaggerative gestures, and martial arts. Peking opera troupes tell ancient Chinese stories and folklore, and the performers are selected for a role they will perform for their whole career. There are four major roles in Peking Opera, the male Sheng role, the female Dan role, the painted face Jing role, and the clown Chou role. Each role has specific characteristics and facial paint or masks that tells the audience the nature and personality of the character. 

I attended and photographed a Peking Opera workshop designed to help future generations understand and appreciate this ancient custom. The two performers demonstrated the technique of applying their makeup and putting on their costumes in preparation for a performance, and then they demonstrated the Sheng and Dan roles by performing an excerpt from a traditional opera. During their performance, they explained the importance of the gestures, actions, and vocals that are used to enhance the story.  In a generation of Chinese youth often obsessed with western culture, Peking Opera is not very popular.  But thanks to the dedication of a few individuals committed to its preservation, Peking Opera is gaining renown internationally as troupes travel the world bringing this ancient custom to other countries.