Xiahou Dun, the Eastern Han dynasty military general, in The Yangping Pass - ca. 1900

This silk illustration depicts a character drawn from the rich tradition of Peking opera, the most renowned among the approximately 360 theatrical forms that exist in China. Originally supported by the Qing court, Peking opera involved large companies of over one hundred performers and elaborate productions that could last up to ten hours a day. During the 19th century, especially in Beijing, dedicated training schools emerged, giving rise to celebrated stars and a growing public fascination. Blending singing, dance, dialogue, martial arts, and acrobatics, Peking opera has been one of the most influential ways through which the Chinese people have imagined the world for over two centuries.

Painted by an unknown artist in the early 20th century, this portrait on silk represents one of the archetypal roles drawn from a repertoire of traditional plays. While the characters originate from literature, military history, and mythology, they follow established role types: sheng, dan, jing, and chou. Sheng and dan represent the male and female protagonists (historically performed by men), jing the antagonist, and chou the comic figure. As Mei Chun explains, this intentional simplicity enhances moral contrast, avoiding ambiguity. The painted facial makeup, known as lianpu and derived from masks used during the Tang dynasty, communicates clear moral qualities through color and expression.

Over time, these characters evolved alongside Chinese society, embodying Confucian, Buddhist, nationalist, and even revolutionary ideals, as seen in the Yangbanxi developed under Jiang Qing during the Cultural Revolution. Like many theatrical traditions worldwide, Peking opera offered audiences a space to explore identities beyond everyday life. In the early 20th century, dan performers specialized in roles such as qingyi—virtuous and noble—and huadan—young and seductive. During the Republican era, Mei Lanfang merged these archetypes, creating more complex and sensual female figures, introducing a new vision of femininity compared to that of the Qing dynasty.

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