Beijing opera or Peking opera is a form of traditional Chinese theatre which combines music, vocal performance, mime, dance and acrobatics. It arose in the late 18th century and became fully developed and recognized by the mid-19th century. The form was extremely popular in the Qing Dynasty court and has come to be regarded as one of the cultural treasures of China. Major performance troupes are based in Beijing and Tianjin in the north, and Shanghai in the south. Beijing opera features four main types of performers. Performing troupes often have several of each variety, as well as numerous secondary and tertiary performers. With their elaborate and colorful costumes, performers are the only focal points on Beijing opera's characteristically sparse stage. They utilize the skills of speech, song, dance, and combat in movements that are symbolic and suggestive, rather than realistic. Above all else, the skill of performers is evaluated according to the beauty of their movements. Performers also adhere to a variety of stylistic conventions that help audiences navigate the plot of the production. The layers of meaning within each movement must be expressed in time with music. The music of Beijing opera can be divided into the Xipi and Erhuang styles. Melodies include arias, fixed-tune melodies, and percussion patterns. The repertoire of Beijing opera includes over 1,400 works, which are based on Chinese history, folklore, and, increasingly, contemporary life. Colors in Beijing opera masks The Chinese culture is very fond of using color as a representation of an idea or personality. In the Beijing opera, the actors often paint their faces with various colors and patterns to portray a certain character or role in the opera. All of the different colors are a symbol for different personality traits. For example, white symbolizes slyness, black symbolizes justice, red symbolizes courage, and green symbolizes wildness. All of these colors identify the role of the character with minimal amount of words spoken. The meanings of the colors used in the Chinese culture differ from those used in the Western cultures. The colors used in the decoration of Beijing Opera masks are also prominent in the portrayal of religious deities. One of the many prominent figures in the Chinese culture, Guan Yu, is often portrayed as a red-faced warrior. From the western point of view, using such a red color on a persons face often symbolizes danger and threat. In fact, the color is most associated with demons and the devil. However, in the Chinese culture, the figure represents loyalty and righteousness. Also, the color red alone, such as in the national flag, represents fortune and luck. The table below shows what the different colors in the Beijing Opera Masks symbolize. Color: Red Character: Guan Yu Red indicates devotion, courage bravery, uprightness and loyalty. A typical "red face" is Guan Yu, general of the period of the Three Kingdoms (220-280), famed for his faithfulness to his Emperor, Liu Bei. Color: Black Character: Zhang Fei Black symbolizes roughness and fierceness. The black face indicates either a rough and bold character or an impartial and selfless personality. Typical of the former are General Zhang Fei (of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms) and Li Kui (of Water Margin), and of the latter is Bao Gong (alias Bao Zheng), the semi-legendary fearless and impartial judge of the Song Dynasty. Color: White Character: Cao Cao White suggests sinisterness, treacherousness, suspiciousness and craftiness. Commonly seen on the stage is the white face for the powerful villain. It highlights all that is bad in human nature: cunning, craftiness, and treachery. Typical characters are Cao Cao, powerful and cruel prime minister in the time of the Three Kingdoms, and Qin Hui, treacherous Song Dynasty prime minister who put the national hero Yue Fei to death. Color: Yellow Character: Dian Wei Yellow signifies fierceness, ambition and cool-headedness. Color: Green Character: Cheng Yaojin A green face tells the audience that the character is impulsive and violent and depicts surly stubbornness, impetuosity and a total lack of self-restraint. Color: Blue Character: Xia Houdun Blue represents staunchness, fierceness and astuteness. Color: Purple Character: Zhou Cang Purple stands for uprightness, sophistication and cool-headedness). The reddish purple face likewise shows a just and noble character, for instance, Lian Po in the well-known play Lian Po. He (The General Reconciled with the Chief Minister), in which General Lian was proud and impetuous and quarreled with the chief minister to whom he was ultimately reconciled. Color: Minimal Paint Character: Jiang Gan For the clowns of traditional drama, there is a special makeup called xiaohualian (the petty painted face), i.e., a small patch of chalk on and around the nose to show a mean and secretive character, such as Jiang Gan of the Three Kingdoms who fawned upon Cao Cao. It is also occasionally painted on a young page or an ordinary workingman, often to enhance his wit, humor or jesting and to enliven up the performance.