Ping opera

Not to be confused with Peking opera, which used to be called Pingju.

Pingju or Ping opera (Chinese: 评剧; pinyin: píngjù) is a form of Chinese opera from northern China.

Xin Fengxia in the pingju Flowers as Matchmakers

History

Pingju originated in Tangshan, Hebei, near the city of Tianjin.^[1] Among all China's regional operas, it was the most famous in the Republican period for its passionate performances and romantic plots.^[2]

Movies based upon and incorporating Pingju include Zhang Shichuan's 1936 Red Begonia (t 海棠紅, s 海棠红, Hǎitáng Hóng), starring Bai Yushuang.^[3]

A Pingju performance in Tianjin

Performers

Bai Yushuang was known as the "Queen of Pingju". Other famed performers include Xin Fengxia^[4] and her mentor Hua Furong.^[5]

References

1. "China Pingju Festival", China Culture.
2. Cheng (2002), p. 8.
3. Cheng (2002), p. 11.
4. Davis, Edward L. (January 2009). Encyclopedia of Contemporary Chinese Culture. Taylor & Francis. p. 649. ISBN 978-0-415-77716-2.
5. Cheng (2002), p. 7.

Bibliography

• Cheng, Weikun (June 2002). "The Use of "Public" Women: Commercialized Performance, Nation-Building, and Actresses' Strategies in Early Twentieth-Century Beijing" (PDF). WID Working Papers. Ann Arbor: Office of Women in International Development, Michigan State University.

Further reading

• Chinnery, John (2007). Pingju: Real Life Opera of Northern China. New World Press.