He combines comic acting and acrobatics.Īn understanding of the different painted faces and masks in the context of Chinese opera gives us a greater appreciation of this cultural art form.
Wen Chou - plays civilian roles like merchants, or jailers. Chou characters wear special face paint with a small patch of white chalk around the nose. Their costumes can be simple for characters of lower status, to elaborate for high-status characters. Chou characters are generally amusing and likeable, though maybe a bit foolish. Wujing - a martial and acrobatic character. Jiazi - a complex character played by a skilled actor. Dongchui - a loyal general with a black face who excels in singing. 
Three main types of Jing roles are also recognised: There are many facial patterns that he may wear that tell us of the character of the person.
Huashan - a role popularised by Mei Lanfang to represent a vivacious, unmarried woman who has sensuality. Zhengdan or Qingyi - virtuous and elite woman. Depicted as carrying a sword and riding on a horse. 
He is highly trained in acrobatics, and has a natural voice in singing, unlike the Xiaosheng.ĭan refers to any female role in Chinese opera.
Wusheng - young male with combat role. He sings in a “high shrill voice with occasional breaks”. The only two hongsheng in Chinese opera are Guan Kong - the Chinese God of War, and Zhao Kuang-yin, the first Song Dynasaty emperor. Sheng is the main male role in Chinese opera. Now that I have a bit more free time in my seventies, I decided to find out more. My grandmother taught me that a performer with a “white-nose” is a clown. One interesting feature about Chinese opera performers is they literally wear their roles on their painted faces and face masks. Chinese opera is still popular, though much less compared to the 1950s and 1960s in Singapore. A feature image of a Cantonese opera Lady Magistrate Xie Yao Huan is shown.
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