xiaohualian is the chinese word for the makeup in beijing opera.
xiaohualian is the chinese word for the makeup in beijing opera.
what is the chinese word for the makeup in beijing opera?
xiaohualian
the chou (丑) is a male clown role. the chou usually plays secondary roles in a troupe. indeed, most studies of beijing opera classify the chou as a minor role. the name of the role is a homophone of the mandarin chinese word "chou", meaning "ugly". this reflects the traditional belief that the clown's combination of ugliness and laughter could drive away evil spirits. chou roles can be divided into "wen chou", civilian roles such as merchants and jailers, and "wu chou", minor military roles. the "wu chou" is one of the most demanding in beijing opera, because of its combination of comic acting, acrobatics, and a strong voice. chou characters are generally amusing and likable, if a bit foolish. their costumes range from simple for characters of lower status to elaborate, perhaps overly so, for high status characters. chou characters wear special face paint, called "xiaohualian", that differs from that of jing characters. the defining characteristic of this type of face paint is a small patch of white chalk around the nose. this can represent either a mean and secretive nature or a quick wit.
peking opera
although it is called beijing opera, its origins are not in beijing but in the chinese provinces of anhui and hubei. beijing opera got its two main melodies, "xipi" and "erhuang", from anhui and hubei operas. much dialogue is also carried out in an archaic dialect originating partially from those regions. it also absorbed music and arias from other operas and musical arts such as the historic qinqiang. it is regarded that beijing opera was born when the four great anhui troupes came to beijing in 1790. beijing opera was originally staged for the court and came into the public later. in 1828, some famous hubei troupes came to beijing. they often jointly performed in the stage with anhui troupes. the combination gradually formed beijing opera's main melodies.
arts of china