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A 30-member troupe， a show lasting one and a half hours， five wonderful performances， and enthusiastic applause from a 600-strong audience. These are some numbers about the Tianjin Peking Opera Troupe’s performance in Cape Town on June 15 as part of the Year of China in South Africa， a year-long program to promote Sino-South African ties.
A national treasure with a history of 200 years， China’s Peking Opera is a synthesis of stylized action， singing， dialogue and mime， complemented by acrobatic fighting and dancing. Through these actions the characters express emotions as diverse as anger， sorrow， happiness and surprise. The opera has four main roles： sheng （male）， dan （female）， jing （painted face， male） and chou （clown， male or female）. The characters may be loyal or treacherous， beautiful or ugly， good or bad. Their characters are enhanced by make-up and splendidly embroidered costumes.
The most popular performance that night was the action drama Havoc in Heaven in which Wang Ping， the 61-year-old dean of the Tianjin Peking Opera Troupe， played the lead role of the Monkey King. In an interview with ChinAfrica， Wang outlined the three operas performed for South African audiences， which is a good starting point for novices to appreciate the quintessence of this Chinese cultural art：
Sample of folk arts
Besides the elegant Peking Opera， Tianjin， a thriving city in north China， is also home to many famous craftsmen and intangible cultural heritage art forms. During the 2015 Year of China in South Africa， the South Africans were offered the opportunity to appreciate the delicate works at an exhibition on Tianjin’s cultural heritage in Durban from June 17 to 19.
At the Crossroads
At the Crossroads， a classic silent opera with combat scenes， is easy for foreign audiences to follow. The protagonist Jiao Zan is exiled to an island for killing the son-in-law of a corrupt official. A warrior tails after him to protect him. When Jiao goes to an inn at the crossroads， the owner mistakes the warrior as an assassin sent to kill Jiao. The misunderstanding triggers a fierce fight between the innkeeper and the warrior， both of whom are trying to protect Jiao. It happens during the dark and silent night. There is no dialogue during the entire performance， only miming and action， making it easy for foreigners to understand. The opera provides a glimpse of the stylized Peking Opera lightened by comedy.
Qiujiang River It’s the story of a young couple who break the bounds imposed by religion for their love. He is a student and she a nun. But they fall in love and the nun’s master finds out and compels him to leave her. However， she follows him all the way to the Qiujiang River and persuades an old boatman to ferry her across so that she can catch up with him. The boatman is enthusiastic and humorous， and banters with her the whole trip.
This is a performance in Chinese language. Despite the language barrier， its uniqueness would make foreign audiences appreciate the beauty of this Chinese art. The characters’ inner thoughts are revealed through a series of dance movements. The lifelike acting is a characteristic of Peking Opera.
Havoc in Heaven
The story of the Monkey King is a well-known one. Havoc in Heaven is a classic combat drama in Peking Opera. The story goes that the Queen of Heaven held a banquet but didn’t invite the Monkey King. Outraged by the exclusion， the Monkey King created havoc in heaven before returning to his mountain home. The Jade Emperor ordered his soldiers to catch the Monkey King， triggering a fight between the rebel and soldiers. The Monkey King is probably the most famous character in Chinese tales， combining intelligence and bravery with humor.
Leaf Painting
Leaf painting has a long history. Tree leaves can be preserved for a long time after drying them. The different shapes form a delightful diverse canvas for the paintings. As the leaves are usually small and fragile， painters need to miniaturize， leading to the formation of unique painting techniques. The subjects cover a wide range， from ancient beauties and people to flowers and plants， landscape and calligraphy. The bright color or delicately painted pictures contrast with the leaf veins， creating a traditional Chinese art form.
Dough Sculpture
It is a folk craft making human or animal figures with dough made of flour， glutinous rice flour and other materials. Dough sculpture has a long history， evolving from a diet culture into an art and becoming part of the Chinese folk art. The sculptures are made by printing， pinching， framing and rolling. The craftsman kneads the raw material into malleable dough， then carves it with a small bamboo knife. The dough is shaped into a human form with body， hands， head and face. It is then clothed and accessorized and you have a vivid artistic figure fashioned from shapeless dough. Gourd Craftsmanship
During the reign of the Qing Dynasty（1644-1911）， gourds were first used as ladles to dole out water. A Qing emperor asked craftsmen to make carved wooden molds of water ladles for the royal palace. Young gourds were then put inside the molds. As they began to grow inside， the patterns on the molds - mountains and rivers， and illustrations of classic stories – began to be imprinted on them. “Singing worm gourds” are those used for keeping crickets and other insects. Gourds are also carved to make pen holders， censers， vases， bowls and dishes.
Hairy Monkey Art
The Hairy Monkey， also called the Golden Cicada Monkey or Half-inch Macaque， is a unique Chinese folk art form which originated in old Beijing over 100 years ago. It is a tiny humanoid created by attaching heads and legs from sloughed cicada shells to magnolia buds. The buds are covered with down which look like wisps of hair. The little figures then become part of miniature tableaus showing people going on with their everyday lives - selling food， playing traditional games and so on. The little tableau goes into a glass box and is ready to be sold as typical Chinese folk art.
Yidecheng Snuff
Also called a “smelling medicine，”Yidecheng snuff is made of fine tobacco powder mixed with herbs and even substances like musk. The mixture is kept in a sealed wax ball for years or decades to mature. Yidecheng snuff has a history of 260 years， made by six generations. The finest Yidecheng snuff， called the flying snuff， was once used by royalty.
Yangliuqing Woodcut New-Year Pictures
With a history of over 400 years， the Tianjin Yangliuqing Woodcut New-Year Pictures are hailed as the “Encyclopedia of Folk Life.” The art was included in the first national intangible cultural heritage directory approved by the State Council， China’s cabinet. The woodcuts combine sketching， engraving， painting and printing. The ancient woodblock printing technique has been enhanced with unique designs and color combinations.
Xu’s Chinese Opera Helmets
An indispensable part of traditional Chinese Opera， the helmet has four avatars： crown， helmet， kerchief or hat. Xu’s opera helmets originated in the time of the Qing Dynasty. The prosperity of this industry in Tianjin spurred the production and sale of more varieties. More than 100 samples have been discovered.
Yangliuqing Paper Cutting
Originating in Yangliuqing， a market town in Tianjin， 1，000 years ago， the Yangliuqing paper cuts are another wonderful work of folk art. It flourished during the late Qing Dynasty. Its subjects range from flowers and birds to auspicious patterns， legends and Chinese opera figures.
A national treasure with a history of 200 years， China’s Peking Opera is a synthesis of stylized action， singing， dialogue and mime， complemented by acrobatic fighting and dancing. Through these actions the characters express emotions as diverse as anger， sorrow， happiness and surprise. The opera has four main roles： sheng （male）， dan （female）， jing （painted face， male） and chou （clown， male or female）. The characters may be loyal or treacherous， beautiful or ugly， good or bad. Their characters are enhanced by make-up and splendidly embroidered costumes.
The most popular performance that night was the action drama Havoc in Heaven in which Wang Ping， the 61-year-old dean of the Tianjin Peking Opera Troupe， played the lead role of the Monkey King. In an interview with ChinAfrica， Wang outlined the three operas performed for South African audiences， which is a good starting point for novices to appreciate the quintessence of this Chinese cultural art：
Sample of folk arts
Besides the elegant Peking Opera， Tianjin， a thriving city in north China， is also home to many famous craftsmen and intangible cultural heritage art forms. During the 2015 Year of China in South Africa， the South Africans were offered the opportunity to appreciate the delicate works at an exhibition on Tianjin’s cultural heritage in Durban from June 17 to 19.
At the Crossroads
At the Crossroads， a classic silent opera with combat scenes， is easy for foreign audiences to follow. The protagonist Jiao Zan is exiled to an island for killing the son-in-law of a corrupt official. A warrior tails after him to protect him. When Jiao goes to an inn at the crossroads， the owner mistakes the warrior as an assassin sent to kill Jiao. The misunderstanding triggers a fierce fight between the innkeeper and the warrior， both of whom are trying to protect Jiao. It happens during the dark and silent night. There is no dialogue during the entire performance， only miming and action， making it easy for foreigners to understand. The opera provides a glimpse of the stylized Peking Opera lightened by comedy.
Qiujiang River It’s the story of a young couple who break the bounds imposed by religion for their love. He is a student and she a nun. But they fall in love and the nun’s master finds out and compels him to leave her. However， she follows him all the way to the Qiujiang River and persuades an old boatman to ferry her across so that she can catch up with him. The boatman is enthusiastic and humorous， and banters with her the whole trip.
This is a performance in Chinese language. Despite the language barrier， its uniqueness would make foreign audiences appreciate the beauty of this Chinese art. The characters’ inner thoughts are revealed through a series of dance movements. The lifelike acting is a characteristic of Peking Opera.
Havoc in Heaven
The story of the Monkey King is a well-known one. Havoc in Heaven is a classic combat drama in Peking Opera. The story goes that the Queen of Heaven held a banquet but didn’t invite the Monkey King. Outraged by the exclusion， the Monkey King created havoc in heaven before returning to his mountain home. The Jade Emperor ordered his soldiers to catch the Monkey King， triggering a fight between the rebel and soldiers. The Monkey King is probably the most famous character in Chinese tales， combining intelligence and bravery with humor.
Leaf Painting
Leaf painting has a long history. Tree leaves can be preserved for a long time after drying them. The different shapes form a delightful diverse canvas for the paintings. As the leaves are usually small and fragile， painters need to miniaturize， leading to the formation of unique painting techniques. The subjects cover a wide range， from ancient beauties and people to flowers and plants， landscape and calligraphy. The bright color or delicately painted pictures contrast with the leaf veins， creating a traditional Chinese art form.
Dough Sculpture
It is a folk craft making human or animal figures with dough made of flour， glutinous rice flour and other materials. Dough sculpture has a long history， evolving from a diet culture into an art and becoming part of the Chinese folk art. The sculptures are made by printing， pinching， framing and rolling. The craftsman kneads the raw material into malleable dough， then carves it with a small bamboo knife. The dough is shaped into a human form with body， hands， head and face. It is then clothed and accessorized and you have a vivid artistic figure fashioned from shapeless dough. Gourd Craftsmanship
During the reign of the Qing Dynasty（1644-1911）， gourds were first used as ladles to dole out water. A Qing emperor asked craftsmen to make carved wooden molds of water ladles for the royal palace. Young gourds were then put inside the molds. As they began to grow inside， the patterns on the molds - mountains and rivers， and illustrations of classic stories – began to be imprinted on them. “Singing worm gourds” are those used for keeping crickets and other insects. Gourds are also carved to make pen holders， censers， vases， bowls and dishes.
Hairy Monkey Art
The Hairy Monkey， also called the Golden Cicada Monkey or Half-inch Macaque， is a unique Chinese folk art form which originated in old Beijing over 100 years ago. It is a tiny humanoid created by attaching heads and legs from sloughed cicada shells to magnolia buds. The buds are covered with down which look like wisps of hair. The little figures then become part of miniature tableaus showing people going on with their everyday lives - selling food， playing traditional games and so on. The little tableau goes into a glass box and is ready to be sold as typical Chinese folk art.
Yidecheng Snuff
Also called a “smelling medicine，”Yidecheng snuff is made of fine tobacco powder mixed with herbs and even substances like musk. The mixture is kept in a sealed wax ball for years or decades to mature. Yidecheng snuff has a history of 260 years， made by six generations. The finest Yidecheng snuff， called the flying snuff， was once used by royalty.
Yangliuqing Woodcut New-Year Pictures
With a history of over 400 years， the Tianjin Yangliuqing Woodcut New-Year Pictures are hailed as the “Encyclopedia of Folk Life.” The art was included in the first national intangible cultural heritage directory approved by the State Council， China’s cabinet. The woodcuts combine sketching， engraving， painting and printing. The ancient woodblock printing technique has been enhanced with unique designs and color combinations.
Xu’s Chinese Opera Helmets
An indispensable part of traditional Chinese Opera， the helmet has four avatars： crown， helmet， kerchief or hat. Xu’s opera helmets originated in the time of the Qing Dynasty. The prosperity of this industry in Tianjin spurred the production and sale of more varieties. More than 100 samples have been discovered.
Yangliuqing Paper Cutting
Originating in Yangliuqing， a market town in Tianjin， 1，000 years ago， the Yangliuqing paper cuts are another wonderful work of folk art. It flourished during the late Qing Dynasty. Its subjects range from flowers and birds to auspicious patterns， legends and Chinese opera figures.