Old Beijing(Peking) Opera Show

The Peking Opera began to be formed on the basis of the Hui Opera from Anhui and the Han Opera from Hubei. It gradually came into Beijing by the middle of the 10th century during the Qing Dynasty. Around 200 years ago in the reign of Emperor Kangxi, there prevailed in the area of Beijing only Kun and Geyang melodies. By the time of Qianlong, the Qin Opera (called Shaanxi Banzi) began to penetrate into Beijing and get along well with the former. However, in 1790, the 55th year of Qianlong's reign there came into Beijing a Hui Opera troupe headed by a famous actor and by taking in something good and essential from the Kun, Geyang and Qin operas it came to become an opera combining singing, narration, acting and martial arts into one wholeness. Up to the first half of the 19th century in the reign of Emperor Daoguang the Han Opera then in rife in Hubei also made its way into Beijing, As the Hui and the Han operas often went along well with each other in performance, many artists naturally learnt from one another, taking in the strong points from others to enrich one's own skill, and then by integrating the Beijing accent in singing, the indispensable factor into their own operas, an opera of a special art form naturally came into being on the basic melodies of Erhuang of the Hui Opera and Xipi of the Han Opera. It was at first called "Pihuang" or "Jing Melody" But by the by it was called the "Peking Opera" finally.