Peking Opera took shape in Beijing over 200 years ago, combining song, speech, dance and combat; a UNESCO intangible heritage since 2010, honoured as China quintessential art.
Face paint speaks: red means loyalty (Guan Yu), black integrity (Bao Zheng), white cunning (Cao Cao), gold gods and demons - the face tells the character.
Role types: sheng (male), dan (female), jing (painted face), chou (clown); each has its own vocal style, movement and costume.
What to watch: martial heroes doing flips and weapon-juggling; dan roles with orchid fingers and water sleeves; "face changing" is actually from Sichuan opera - rare here.
Where: Chang-an Grand Theatre, Huguang Guild Hall and Liyuan Theatre in Beijing, plus venues in Tianjin and Shanghai; tickets 80-500 yuan - start with a 2-hour highlights show.
Beginner tip: read the plot summary first (mostly familiar stories like Three Kingdoms or Journey to the West); subtitles usually run in Chinese and English.
