Stage, Spectacle, Story: Weaving Through the Art of Peking Opera

For centuries, Peking Opera has been more than just performance – it is a dialogue between movement and stillness, sound and silence, past and present. It is the art of transformation, where a single gesture can carry the weight of history, and a flick of the sleeve can whisper untold stories.

From 7 to 17 April, an exhibition will unfold, mapping the four archetypal figures of Peking Opera – Sheng, Dan, Jing, and Chou – across layers of silk and pigment, rhythm and voice. Visitors will move through curated text panels, authentic costumes, historical props, and performance excerpts, encountering the many faces of an art form that has shaped and reshaped itself across dynasties, across borders.

Then, on 17 April, the final day of the exhibition, the space will transform. The stage opens, not just for observation, but for participation. A drop-in cultural event will invite audiences to step inside the world of Peking Opera as a bridge between art and ritual, theatre and life, one culture and another. Through a series of interactive sessions, participants will touch, listen, move – painting masks, tasting tea, feeling the weight of a costume, tracing the contours of an ancient melody. More than a celebration, this event is an exploration of heritage as a living, breathing presence – one that asks to be inhabited, experienced, and reimagined.

Join our drop-in activities, including:

• an exhibition introducing the four types of  four primary role types in Peking Opera: Sheng (male), Dan (female), Jing (painted face), and Chou (comic).
• Peking Opera Unmasked: Face Painting Booth
• Craft Workshop Station: Artists from Hong Kong will o provide handmade leather goods inspired by traditional Chinese designs
• Chinese Tea Corner: try samples of traditional Taiwanese tea and gain insights into tea culture
• Music Exploration Zone: featuring traditional Chinese instruments such as the guqin and flute
• Photo Booth with Costumes: self-service photo booth with replica costumes and props for participants to dress up as Peking Opera characters
• Traditional Tang Dynasty Make-Up Experience: demonstrations of iconic Tang Dynasty make-up styles
• Tai Chi Experience Session

This project is supported by Thinking Culture funding 2024-25, awarded to PhD student Yidan Hu and collaborator Peking Opera Society.

Accessibility

Information on the Advanced Research Centre’s accessibility can be found on Accessable.

If you have any access requirements, please email ARCEngage@Glasgow.ac.uk.