By: Henrietta Afful, Beijing
Journalists participating in the 2026 China International Press Communication Center (CIPCC) programme experienced one of China’s oldest and most treasured performing arts during a special cultural showcase, ‘Peking Opera Illuminates Chaoyang,’ organised for foreign media in Beijing’s Chaoyang District.
The event offered international journalists an immersive introduction to Peking Opera, blending education, interactive activities and live performances to deepen understanding of one of China’s most enduring cultural traditions.
The cultural journey began in the theatre lobby, where participants explored an exhibition of authentic Peking Opera costumes. The elaborate garments, adorned with intricate embroidery and vibrant colours, illustrated how costume design reflects a character’s rank, personality and social status.
Costume Exhibition
Journalists later stepped onto the theatre stage to experience the distinctive facial makeup associated with the art form. Organisers explained how each colour and pattern carries symbolic meaning, with red representing loyalty and bravery, black signifying integrity and impartiality, white denoting cunning or treachery, and blue or green symbolising boldness and determination.
An introductory session traced the origins of Peking Opera to the Qing Dynasty more than 200 years ago and highlighted its evolution into one of China’s most celebrated performing arts.
Recognised by UNESCO in 2010 as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, Peking Opera combines singing, dialogue, stylised acting, dance, martial arts and acrobatics into a highly symbolic theatrical performance.
Organisers explained that every movement, gesture and prop on stage carries meaning. With minimal stage settings, performers rely on carefully choreographed movements to depict actions such as riding a horse, opening a door or travelling long distances, allowing audiences to imagine entire scenes through performance alone.
Music also plays a central role in shaping the performance. Journalists learned that civilian plays are accompanied mainly by string and wind instruments such as the jinghu, a two-stringed fiddle, and the dizi flute, while military plays rely heavily on percussion instruments including the bangu, daluo, gongs and cymbals to heighten rhythm, emotion and dramatic tension.
Speaking during the programme, emcees Anna and Ghaffar introduced participants to the four principal role categories in Peking Opera: Sheng (male roles), Dan (female roles), Jing (painted-face characters) and Chou (comic characters), each distinguished by unique vocal styles, costumes, movements and performance techniques.
The evening culminated in a series of classic performances that demonstrated the diversity of the art form. The audience watched ‘The Cross Road’ (San Cha Kou), a celebrated action-comedy renowned for its choreographed martial arts sequences and expressive mime; ‘The Goddess of Heaven Scatters Flowers,’ which captivated audiences with graceful choreography, elegant costumes and refined singing; and ‘The Great Immortal Herb Robbery,’ a lively production featuring dramatic storytelling, acrobatics and vibrant stage performances.
Beyond the performances, the programme underscored how Peking Opera continues to preserve Chinese history, philosophy, aesthetics and traditional values while adapting to modern audiences.
Passed down largely through a master-student apprenticeship system, the art form remains a living expression of China’s cultural identity and continues to thrive in major cultural centres such as Beijing, Tianjin and Shanghai.
For many of the visiting journalists, the event provided a rare opportunity to experience firsthand, an art form that has fascinated audiences for generations. Rather than simply watching a performance, participants gained insight into the symbolism, discipline and craftsmanship behind one of the world’s most distinctive theatrical traditions.
The evening concluded with a group photograph featuring the cast and the foreign journalists, bringing to a close a memorable cultural exchange.
Beyond the performances and demonstrations, ‘Peking Opera Illuminates Chaoyang’ highlighted the role of the performing arts in fostering dialogue, mutual understanding and people-to-people exchanges, leaving participants with a deeper appreciation of China’s rich artistic heritage.
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